It’s National Espresso Day and the busiest travel day of the year! You might need that extra buzz to get you through the travel time today. But in case you didn’t know the origin of espresso, we’re here to help.
Espresso made its debut in Italy in the early 20th century although coffee was already very much a part of Italian life for centuries. Espresso lovers owe their thanks for the tasty brew to Italy’s Luigi Bezzera, the owner of a manufacturing plant who wanted to speed up the time it took to make coffee. It’s unclear whether he was motivated to hasten the process by frustration over how long it took to make his morning coffee or whether he wanted to shorten hiss employees coffee breaks.
Bezzera discovered that adding steam pressure to the process produced a stronger, more robust cup of coffee. This machine used in this new quick-brew process was named the Fast Coffee Machine. The beverage produced by the machine would eventually become known as espresso, which means “fast” in Italian.
Here are some fun facts about espresso.Â
A 60-ml shot of espresso has about the same caffeine as a 180-ml (6 fluid ounces) cup of drip coffee.
The serving temperature for espresso is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ideal brewing time for one shot of espresso is 25 to 30 seconds
Any type of coffee roast can be used to make espresso. The grind size and preparation are what makes it an espresso.
We found one local special for National Espresso Day-guests can enjoy any medium hot or iced espresso for only $1.99 at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants nationwide, so stop by your local Dunkin’ store before heading out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Where is your favorite place to get that extra buzz? Â Vote now in Williamson Source’s Food Battle for the month of November for the Best Coffee Shop in Williamson County.
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