Cafe Breve
Ingredients
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- 4 ounces hot water – for warming the cup (for serving)
- 6 ounces half-and-half
- 2 ounces espresso
Instructions
1. Fill your serving cup with hot water to preheat; let stand 30–60 seconds, then discard the water and dry the cup.
2. Purge the steam wand, then steam 6 ounces half-and-half in a pitcher to 140–150°F (60–65°C), 20–45 seconds, gently stretching to create about 0.5 inch of fine, silky microfoam. Tap and swirl the pitcher to smooth the texture.
3. Pull 2 ounces espresso directly into the warmed cup, 25–30 seconds, until the stream blonds and a hazelnut-colored crema forms.
4. Immediately pour the steamed half-and-half into the espresso: start low to integrate, then finish by floating the microfoam on top. Serve at once.
Cafe breve is a rich, espresso-based drink built with steamed half-and-half instead of milk. The result is exceptionally creamy and naturally sweet, with a velvety microfoam that softens espresso’s bitterness while preserving its aromatic intensity. It drinks like a dessert in a cup, delivering a plush mouthfeel and a long, warm finish.
Born from American coffeehouse culture, cafe breve adapts Italian milk drinks to local tastes by using half-and-half (a blend of milk and cream). It likely emerged in the late 20th century as espresso bars spread across the United States and customers favored fuller, creamier textures. Today it’s a menu staple in many U.S. cafes, often ordered simply as “a breve.”