A Different Kind of Brew

It was many years ago when I was first introduced to the Cafe Americano.  I was in Europe and was at the height of my coffee drinking.  I was travelling on business to Barcelona and the jet lag was killer.  Couldn't sleep at night and in the morning it seemed impossible that I would make it through the day!  These were the days before the in room coffee maker (especially in Europe!) and so it seemed like it took me forever to get ready for the day and go downstairs of the hotel lobby for a coffee.  When I got there, the choice was espresso. 

"Espresso???", I say, "Is there any regular coffee?".  The waiter looked at me with a blank look at first, but then it dawned on him, that I am not from around here.

"I can make you a Cafe Americano."  The waiter suggested.

"Yes, for sure...what is that??", I responded, my desperation for a cup of coffee was growing intensely with each passing moment and in my mind I thought he must mean a NORMAL cup of coffee, the type us Americano's drink, hence the name. Yes, that must be it.

"It is an espresso that is diluted with hot water", the waiter responded.

In my head, that didn't sound so great, but it seemed it was the closest thing I was going to get to what I was used to, "Yes, please", I responded.

Well, that was a pretty darned good cup of coffee, smooth and flavourful.  On the rest of the trip, I knew just what to ask for.  Every restaurant, I asked for Cafe Americano and I was getting good at asking with just the right accent to make it sound like I really knew what I was doing.  Happy I was having my coffee, enjoying a different kind of brew!