Iced Americano Recipe

Brew

Pull two standard espresso shots (about 60 ml total). Use fresh, fine-ground coffee and a calibrated espresso machine. Brew directly into a small heatproof pitcher or cup.

Adjust Strength (optional)

If you prefer a slightly weaker iced Americano, pull a lungo (slightly longer shot) or use 1.5 shots instead of 2.

Fill a 16 oz (approx. 475 ml) serving glass with about 1 cup of ice cubes (roughly 240–250 ml by volume). Leaving space for liquid, aim for ice to occupy ~1/3 to 1/2 of the glass.

Pour the brewed espresso over the ice. Pouring hot espresso over ice rapidly chills the coffee and creates a small crema cloud; this also slightly dilutes the shot (expected).

Add approximately 60 ml of hot water to the espresso if you brewed the espresso as two standard shots and want a traditional strength American: this step is optional depending on how strong you like it. If you prefer a stronger drink, omit the hot water and instead top with only cold water.

Top the glass with cold water to fill to 16 oz (about 100 ml cold water in this recipe after accounting for espresso and hot water). Pour slowly to avoid overflowing; the total beverage volume (espresso + hot water + cold water) should equal about 16 oz after ice displacement.

Stir gently with a long spoon to combine espresso and water and to chill the drink evenly. Taste and adjust.

If desired, add 15 ml simple syrup (or other sweetener) and stir until incorporated. For a creamier drink, add 30 ml milk or cream and stir; this will create a slightly milky iced americano (often called an 'iced Americano with milk').

Serve immediately with a straw or long spoon. Provide optional extra sweetener on the side.