Short answer
A cortado is a small drink made of espresso and an equal amount of warm steamed milk, served in a small glass. The milk softens the espresso’s bitterness without turning it into a big, milky latte.
A cortado is a small milk coffee made of espresso and an equal amount of warm steamed milk, served in a short glass. The name means cut in Spanish, because the milk cuts the espresso’s bitterness. A cortado tastes stronger than a latte and smoother than a straight espresso.
What is a cortado?
A cortado is an espresso drink with roughly one part espresso and one part steamed milk. It is served in a small glass, often 120 to 150 ml, and it has little or no foam on top.
The word cortado is Spanish and Portuguese, and the drink is common in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. In the Basque Country it is a standard order, and in Cuba the similar cortadito is served with sugar. Cafes in Canada and the United States adopted the name in the 2000s, and now many specialty shops list it next to the flat white and the latte.
What is the ratio of a cortado?
The standard cortado ratio is one to one: equal parts espresso and steamed milk. A common version is a double shot of espresso, about 60 ml, and 60 ml of milk.
| Drink | Espresso | Milk | Foam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 1 part | None | Crema only |
| Macchiato | 1 part | A spoonful | A dab |
| Cortado | 1 part | 1 part | Almost none |
| Flat white | 1 part | 2 to 3 parts | Thin microfoam |
| Latte | 1 part | 3 to 4 parts | Thin layer |
Some cafes use a ratio closer to one part espresso and two parts milk, so the exact size depends on the place.
How does a cortado taste?
A cortado tastes like espresso with the sharp edge softened. The milk adds sweetness and body, so the drink is rounder than an espresso, but the coffee is still the main flavour.
People who find a latte too milky often prefer a cortado. People who find a straight espresso too bitter often like it too. The warm milk is steamed to a smooth, glossy texture, not a foamy one, so the drink feels silky.
What is the difference between a cortado and a macchiato?
A cortado has equal parts espresso and milk, while a traditional macchiato has only a small spot of milk foam on top. The macchiato is closer to an espresso, and the cortado is closer to a small, strong latte.
The macchiato means marked or stained in Italian, because the espresso is marked with milk. The cortado means cut, because the espresso is cut with milk. One adds a touch, and the other adds half the cup.
What is the difference between a cortado and a flat white?
A cortado is smaller and has less milk than a flat white, and its milk is steamed with almost no foam. A flat white has a larger amount of velvety microfoam.
| Feature | Cortado | Flat white |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 120 to 150 ml | About 150 to 180 ml |
| Milk ratio | 1 to 1 | About 1 to 2 or 3 |
| Texture | Warm, silky, little foam | Velvety microfoam |
| Taste | Strong, soft edge | Smooth, coffee forward |
| Glass or cup | Small glass | Small ceramic cup |
The two drinks are close, and some cafes blur them. If you want the strongest coffee taste with milk, order a cortado. If you want a slightly softer drink, order a flat white.
How do you make a cortado at home?
You make a cortado by pulling a double espresso and adding the same volume of warm steamed milk. The milk should be heated gently and not whipped into foam.
- Pull a double espresso, about 60 ml, into a small glass.
- Heat 60 ml of milk to about 60 to 65 degrees Celsius.
- Swirl the milk so it looks glossy, with very little foam.
- Pour the milk into the espresso in a slow stream.
If you do not have an espresso machine, a moka pot makes a concentrated coffee that works. Brew about 60 ml and add the same amount of warm milk. The taste will be a little different from true espresso, but the idea is the same.
Which milk works best in a cortado?
Whole milk works best in a cortado because it gives sweetness and a silky texture with little foam. Oat milk is the closest plant alternative, since it steams smoothly and tastes mildly sweet.
Because a cortado uses so little milk, the milk’s flavour matters. Skim milk tastes thin, and almond milk can taste flat next to the espresso. Barista editions of oat and soy milk are made to steam well and stay smooth in a small drink.
What cup and temperature does a cortado use?
A cortado is traditionally served in a small glass, around 120 to 150 ml, and it is warm rather than very hot. The glass is often a tumbler or a small Gibraltar glass, which gives the drink one of its other names.
Because the drink is small, it cools quickly, so baristas warm the glass first. The milk is heated to a drinkable temperature, around 55 to 60 degrees Celsius, so the espresso is not scalded. A cortado is usually drunk within a few minutes, while the milk and the coffee are still blended.
What are the other names for a cortado?
Other names for a cortado include gibraltar, piccolo latte and, in some cafes, a small flat white. The drinks are close but not identical, and menus use the names loosely.
| Name | Where it is used | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Cortado | Spain, Portugal, Latin America, specialty cafes | Equal espresso and milk |
| Gibraltar | San Francisco specialty cafes, named for the glass | A cortado in a Gibraltar tumbler |
| Piccolo latte | Australia | Ristretto shot with warm milk in a small glass |
| Cortadito | Cuba and Miami | Cortado with sugar added to the espresso |
Because the same drink can carry four names, check the size on the menu. A drink between 100 and 150 ml with equal milk and coffee is almost certainly a cortado.
Is a cortado on the menu at Maison Sauvage?
A cortado is not on the recorded menu of Maison Sauvage café in Mile End, Montreal. The recorded drink is the Cloud Latte, which The Main directory describes as a drink topped with meringue that is blowtorched to order.
The cafe’s Instagram bio mentions specialty coffee, and The Main says its drinks use local roasts and house syrups, but no full drinks list was found. If you want a cortado style drink, ask the staff what is available. See the menu page for the six recorded items and the hours and location page for the address. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
Common questions
What does cortado mean?
Cortado comes from the Spanish verb cortar, to cut. The espresso is cut with milk, which reduces its sharp, bitter edge. The name is used in Spain, Portugal and in cafes across the Americas.
How much caffeine is in a cortado?
A cortado usually holds one or two shots of espresso, so the caffeine matches those shots. The milk does not remove any. A double cortado has about twice the caffeine of a single.
Is a cortado stronger than a latte?
In taste, yes. A cortado has about the same espresso as a latte but far less milk, so the coffee flavour is much more direct. Caffeine is equal if both use the same number of shots.
Do you need an espresso machine to make a cortado?
You need strong coffee. A moka pot or an AeroPress can make a concentrated base, and you add warm milk in equal parts. The texture will be a little different from machine espresso.
Is a cortado hot or iced?
A cortado is traditionally hot. Some cafes offer an iced version, which is espresso and cold milk over ice, but the classic drink is served warm in a small glass.
For the address, opening hours and menu, see Maison Sauvage café in Montréal.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Maison Sauvage café itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.