Types of coffee drinks range from simple brewed coffee to espresso, creamy lattes, frothy cappuccinos and refreshing cold brews. Some drinks begin with brewed coffee, while others combine espresso with water, milk, foam, chocolate or ice.
The differences can be surprisingly significant. An espresso is small and concentrated, a latte contains considerably more milk, a cappuccino emphasizes foam, and cold brew uses an entirely different brewing method.
This guide explains 25 popular types of coffee drinks, from familiar café favorites to distinctive coffees enjoyed around the world.
Brewed Types of Coffee Drinks
1. Drip Coffee
Drip coffee is one of the most familiar brewing methods in the United States.
Hot water passes through ground coffee held in a filter, and gravity carries the brewed coffee into a pot or carafe below.
It can be enjoyed black or with milk, cream or sweetener.
2. Pour-Over Coffee
Pour-over coffee is also filter-brewed, but the water is manually poured over the grounds.
The person brewing can control variables such as pouring speed, water distribution and brewing time, making pour-over popular with people who enjoy experimenting with coffee preparation.
3. French Press
A French press steeps ground coffee directly in hot water before a mesh plunger separates most of the grounds from the finished drink.
Because it doesn’t use a paper filter, more oils and very fine particles can remain in the cup, contributing to its characteristic body and texture.
Types of Espresso Coffee Drinks
Espresso forms the foundation of many familiar café beverages. Espresso itself is produced by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under substantial pressure.
4. Espresso
An espresso is a small, concentrated coffee made with an espresso machine.
It has an intense flavor and typically develops a layer of crema at the surface.
5. Ristretto
A ristretto is a shorter espresso extraction.
Less beverage is produced from a similar amount of ground coffee, creating a small, concentrated shot with a somewhat different flavor balance from standard espresso.
6. Lungo
A lungo uses more water and a longer extraction than a typical espresso.
The resulting drink is larger and can taste different because the extended extraction pulls additional compounds from the grounds.
7. Americano
An Americano combines espresso with hot water.
Adding water creates a larger, less concentrated drink while retaining the flavor characteristics of the espresso used to make it.
8. Long Black
A long black also combines espresso and hot water, but hot water is generally placed in the cup first and espresso is poured over it.
It is particularly associated with Australia and New Zealand.
Types of Coffee Drinks With Milk
9. Cappuccino
A cappuccino combines espresso with steamed milk and milk foam.
Traditional proportions vary, but cappuccino generally has a smaller serving size and greater emphasis on foam than a latte.
10. Caffè Latte
A latte combines espresso with a relatively large amount of steamed milk and a thinner layer of foam.
The higher proportion of milk softens the intensity of the espresso and gives the drink a smooth, creamy texture.
11. Flat White
A flat white combines espresso with steamed milk and fine-textured microfoam.
It is generally served in a smaller vessel than many lattes and is closely associated with Australian and New Zealand café culture, although its precise origins are debated.
12. Espresso Macchiato
Macchiato means “stained” or “marked” in Italian.
A traditional espresso macchiato is espresso marked with a small amount of milk or milk foam, so coffee remains the dominant flavor.
13. Cortado
A cortado combines espresso with warm milk, generally with much less foam than a cappuccino.
The milk softens the espresso without turning it into the much milkier drink associated with a latte.
14. Breve
In American cafés, a breve generally refers to an espresso drink prepared with steamed half-and-half rather than regular milk.
This creates a richer, heavier drink than a conventional latte.
Sweet and Dessert-Style Coffee Drinks
These sweeter types of coffee drinks combine coffee with ingredients such as milk, chocolate or ice cream.
15. Caffè Mocha
A mocha combines espresso, milk and chocolate.
Recipes vary considerably, and some versions are finished with whipped cream or chocolate sauce.
16. Affogato
An affogato sits somewhere between coffee and dessert.
Traditionally, hot espresso is poured over a scoop of gelato or ice cream, creating a contrast between hot, bitter coffee and cold sweetness.
17. Café au Lait
A café au lait combines brewed coffee with hot milk.
Unlike a latte, it doesn’t require espresso as its coffee base.
18. Café con Leche
Café con leche is popular in Spain and throughout many Spanish-speaking cultures, although preparation varies considerably by region.
It generally combines strong coffee or espresso-style coffee with hot milk.
Types of Cold Coffee Drinks
Cold coffee has become an important category in its own right. In the National Coffee Association’s 2026 data, cold coffee remained popular among U.S. specialty-coffee drinkers.
19. Iced Coffee
Iced coffee generally starts with coffee brewed hot and then cooled or poured over ice.
It can be served black or customized with milk, cream, syrups or sweeteners.
If you’d like to explore it further, see Iced Coffee.
20. Cold Brew
Cold brew is prepared by extracting ground coffee with cool or room-temperature water over an extended period rather than brewing it hot.
The brewing method creates a different flavor and chemical profile from conventional hot-brewed coffee.
21. Nitro Cold Brew
Nitro cold brew is cold-brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas.
The tiny bubbles give it a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and a distinctive cascading appearance when poured.
22. Greek Frappé
The Greek frappé is traditionally made by vigorously mixing instant coffee, water and often sugar until a thick foam develops.
It is served cold, typically over ice, and milk may also be added.
Types of Coffee Drinks Around the World
23. Cuban Coffee
Cuban coffee, particularly the cafecito or café cubano, is a small, strong and sweet coffee commonly prepared using a stovetop moka pot.
Sugar is traditionally mixed with some of the first brewed coffee to create a sweet foam called espuma.
See our complete guide to Cuban Coffee.
24. Vietnamese Coffee
Vietnamese coffee is commonly associated with the phin, a small metal drip brewer.
One particularly famous preparation is cà phê sữa đá, which combines strong coffee with sweetened condensed milk and ice.
See Vietnamese Coffee.
25. Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is prepared from extremely finely ground coffee in a small pot called a cezve.
The coffee isn’t filtered after brewing, so the fine grounds settle at the bottom of the serving cup.
See our guide to Turkish Coffee.
More Types of Coffee Drinks Around the World
There are far more than 25 ways to enjoy coffee.
Café de olla is a Mexican coffee traditionally associated with spices such as cinnamon and piloncillo. Yuanyang, popular in Hong Kong, combines coffee with Hong Kong-style milk tea. And kopi traditions found in Singapore and Malaysia use distinctive roasting and brewing methods that create another very different coffee experience.
The enormous variety is part of what makes coffee so interesting: the same basic ingredient can produce remarkably different drinks depending on brewing method, proportions, temperature and local tradition.
Which Type of Coffee Drink Should You Try?
There isn’t one “best” coffee drink because the right choice depends on what you enjoy.
If you prefer strong and concentrated, try espresso or ristretto. If you like smooth and milky, a latte or flat white may suit you. For something cold and refreshing, try iced coffee or cold brew. And if you’re curious about global coffee traditions, Cuban, Vietnamese and Turkish coffee offer three very different experiences.
Exploring different types of coffee drinks is ultimately about discovering which flavors, textures and brewing styles you enjoy most.
If you’re interested in adding something extra to your cup, you can also read about Protein Coffee.