Cortado and Piccolo Latte: The Small Espresso Drinks You Should Know

After years of drinking flat whites and lattes, I discovered the cortado and it changed my daily routine. It is the drink for people who want to actually taste their espresso but with just enough milk to smooth out the edges. Small, concentrated, and over in four sips. Perfect.

The Cortado

A cortado is a Spanish-origin drink consisting of a double shot of espresso cut with an equal amount of steamed milk. The name comes from "cortar," meaning "to cut." The milk cuts the acidity of the espresso without burying the coffee flavor. Served in a small 4 to 5 ounce glass, typically a Gibraltar glass, which is why some cafes call it a "Gibraltar."

The milk texture for a cortado is lightly steamed with minimal foam. You want warm, silky milk, not the thick microfoam of a cappuccino. The ratio is strict: 1:1 espresso to milk. This means you taste the espresso character clearly, with the milk acting as a supporting player rather than the star.

The Piccolo Latte

The piccolo latte is an Australian invention: a single ristretto shot topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam, served in a small 3 to 4 ounce glass. It is even smaller and more espresso-forward than a cortado. The ristretto base (a shorter, more concentrated shot) gives the piccolo a sweeter, more intense coffee flavor.

The piccolo was invented by Australian roasters who needed a way to taste multiple coffees throughout the day without consuming excessive milk. It is essentially a miniature latte with the proportions shifted heavily toward coffee.

If you have been drinking lattes and want to start tasting your espresso more, the cortado is the natural next step. It is the gateway drug to drinking straight espresso. Once you start appreciating coffee flavor at a 1:1 milk ratio, you might find yourself gradually reducing the milk until you are pulling naked shots. That is exactly what happened to me.