Lattes in a Glass

Anywhere you can buy basically anything in Denmark, you can also buy espresso drinks. You can buy a latte from 7-Eleven, a cappuccino from the takeout pizza place, and an americano from the teeny museum café. Drip coffee is not as common, like it is in the U.S. And since one of my roommates always refused to empty her used coffee grounds from our ancient Mr. Coffee in the apartment, and since I’m a coffee snob, I made it my mission to buy a latte (and then, later, a cappuccino) from a different place every day. And for the first four weeks, I mostly succeeded. I didn’t go to the same coffee shop twice.

I learned that I preferred strong, dark coffee with no smokiness but a little bitterness, and I didn’t like my latte to be too milky. Most of the time I got my coffee to go and took it to class with me, but whenever I’d sit down in the café and enjoy it (while reading, usually), my latte would be served to me in a glass, kind of like the glass you’d see orange juice served in in the U.S. It didn’t feel cozy at all, especially in a country that prided itself on coziness. There’s something about holding a mug or, even better, a big, sturdy ceramic teacup, that you just can’t get from holding a glass. I asked a Danish tour guide about this after my latte was delivered to my in a glass, but the South African man across from me had his cappuccino delivered to him in a mug. She told me that’s how it was done in Denmark: lattes were always served in glasses, and she now felt that any other way was wrong.

There was an easy solution to all my problems: stop ordering lattes altogether and start ordering cappuccinos.

Cappuccinos are always served in a mug if you aren’t taking it to go, and they’re a little bit stronger than lattes (an easy way to make sure I always got a really flavorful drink). What’s the difference, you ask? A latte has more steamed milk and less milk foam, and a cappuccino has less steamed milk and more milk foam. There ends up being less milk in a cappuccino than in a latte, so a cappuccino always tastes stronger because the espresso is less diluted.

Watching a barista (usually a man with painted fingernails and tattoos who is probably a communist) make a cappuccino is meditative. He grinds the beans into this little silver cup, then uses a tamper to pack the grinds into the cup really tightly. Somehow the cup makes its way into the espresso machine, and espresso (two shots) drips into the bottom of a glass. Espresso is so pretty by itself: it’s thicker and creamier than drip coffee, with a fine brown foam coating the surface. The barista uses a frother to (what else?) froth some warm milk, which he had poured into a small metal pitcher. Then, after the milk has been sufficiently frothed and is at the right temperature, he picks up the espresso in one hand, tilts the cup, and pours the milk in a circular motion until the cup is full to the brim.

Here are my top five favorite cappuccinos in Copenhagen, if you ever decide to come here! Most are in Indre By (“Central City”).

5. Kaffeplantagen. In Vesterbro, west of the city center. I like this place mostly because of their ample outdoor seating, view of a little park, and the absolutely beautiful way they pour the milk foam.

4. CUB Coffee Roasters. A few locations around the city, simply very high-quality and good.

3. Democratic Coffee. This little one-location shop is in the Copenhagen City Library, right across from a synagogue that is always guarded by Danish soldiers. So…location is interesting! But their coffee is delicious (latte was also delicious) and their pastries are also really high quality.

2. Coffee Collective. This is another mini-chain with a few different locations, including a little pavilion outside Nørreport Station, the only metro/train station I 100% understand. I got a small cappuccino and as soon as I took a sip, I wished I’d gotten a large one. It was SO good.

1. Roast Coffee. This is the perfect combination of delicious, cheap(er) and really close to where I live. I’ve had about ten coffees from here and they’re so good, every time. Plus the shop is really clean and minimalist, so I love hanging out and writing or reading. I bought beans to bring home with me!