Fat Americano: What is It and How to Make This Coffee Drink
Looking for a refreshing new caffeinated summer drink that’s a little more exciting than the average cold brew? We have the answer! It’s Fat Americano. Ta-daa.
It pairs rich espresso with sweet, sparkling Coca-Cola for a flavor that’s actually more sophisticated than you would guess! Keep reading to learn how to whip up this fun new take on the Americano.
- A double shot of espresso
- Coffee beans
- Tall glass full of ice
- 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola
AT A GLANCE
BREW TIME
10 minutes
YIELD
1 drink
A few notes:
- You Can Use Whatever Coffee Beans You Enjoy For The Espresso, But Usually Darker Roasts With A Classic Coffee Flavor Profile Of Nuts, Caramel, And Bittersweet Chocolate Pair Best With Coke. If You Need A Suggestion, Click Here For Our Top Picks For Espresso Beans.
- Coca-Cola Classic Is The Standard Choice Here, But It’s Not Mandatory. If You Prefer Pepsi Or Diet Coke, They Offer A Similar Enough Flavor Profile.
How to Make a Fat Americano
As long as you can make espresso, making a Fat Americano is a piece of cake. Plus, it’s well worth the effort, according to expert tasters (1).
It’s a hot day, you want something cold and refreshing. You want something sweet, spicy, and full of punch.
So let’s walk through the recipe step by step.
Step 1: Prepare the Espresso
Prepare a double shot using an espresso machine. We won’t go through the details in this recipe, so if you need some guidance for this step, check out our article on how to pull a shot of espresso.
With many milky drinks, you can get away with using espresso closer to strong coffee, like what you can make with an Aeropress, Moka Pot, or Nespresso machine.
But, in this case, we recommend using a machine that can hit 9 bars of pressure for true espresso.
The heavy body and creamy mouthfeel are crucial to holding up against carbonated cola.
Step 2: Assemble Your Fat Americano
Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in a can of Coca-Cola, then add the double shot on top. As with making a traditional Americano, the order matters. By adding the coffee last, you preserve the crema on the top of the drink.
Pro Tip: Adding the still warm espresso threatens to ruin the refreshing nature of this drink, so make sure everything else is as cold as possible. Keep glasses chilled in the freezer, and don’t pull the Coke out of the fridge until the last minute.
Step 3: Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative
You’re already adding coffee to Coke, so there’s no reason to shy away from breaking with tradition here. Feel free to get creative!
An easy variation is to add a dash of condensed milk, which is a better choice than regular milk for giving this drink a creamy body and milky taste.
You can also play around with your choice of coffee beans and soda. Try a taste test using vanilla or cherry coke, or even root beer (2). Coffee with orange juice is already a well-known drink, so why not test out an orange soda?
Pro Tip: If you’re sensitive to caffeine, beware because this drink packs a serious punch. To avoid a bad case of the jitters, consider swapping in decaf soda or decaf coffee, or both.
The Verdict
If you’re looking for a refreshing new way to get caffeinated on a hot July day this summer, give the Fat Americano a try! It might sound like a joke, but we promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the pairing of rich, chocolatey espresso with sweet, smooth Coca-Cola.
FAQs
A real Americano is espresso poured over hot water. According to lore, it was invented in Italy by American soldiers in WWII who found the traditional Italian espresso too strong. Try one for yourself using our guide on how to make an Americano.
The difference between an Americano vs brewed coffee is that the former uses espresso combined with hot water. In contrast, the latter relies on a slower brewing method where the hot water extracts the ground coffee.
The amount of caffeine in a Fat Americano varies depending on your choice of coffee and cola. But as a rough estimate, a double shot of espresso has about 80 mg, and Coke’s can has 30 mg. So a Fat Americano has around 110 mg of caffeine (3).
References
- Sprudge Staff. (2014, June 2). Fat Americano: Korean Cafe Pairs Coca-Cola With Espresso For An Icy Summer Drink. Retrieved from https://sprudge.com/sprudge-drinks-recipe-fat-americano-alex-coffee-korea-56798.html
- Castellano, N. (2020, September 15). Comparing Soft Drink and Coffee Consumption. Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2020/09/comparing-soft-drink-and-coffee-consumption/
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020, February 29). Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372
