What is a cortado?

A cortado (from Spanish 'cut') is a drink composed of an espresso and an equal — or slightly greater — amount of warm milk, in a ratio of approximately 1:1 to 1:2. The goal is to 'cut' the acidity and bitterness of the espresso with milk without diluting the coffee's intensity. It is usually served in a small glass of 80 to 120 ml.

The cortado originates from Spain — specifically from the Basque and Galician regions — and is very common throughout Spain and Portugal. Its defining character lies in the precise balance between espresso and milk: unlike a cappuccino or latte, the cortado does not aim to create voluminous foam or dilute the espresso, but simply to soften it with a minimal amount of warm, silky milk.

A cortado is typically served in a small straight glass or a short whisky-style glass — the glass allows the distinct layers of coffee and milk to be seen before mixing, adding a visual dimension to the experience. The milk should be heated to 60–65°C and have a slightly silky texture without thick foam. The ideal ratio varies by local tradition: in Spain, the classic cortado is 1:1 (espresso:milk), but in specialty cafés ratios up to 1:1.5 are common.

The cortado is often compared to the Australian piccolo latte (a ristretto in a 90 ml glass with milk) and the French noisette (espresso with a hazelnut-sized drop of milk). These drinks share the same principle — a concentrated espresso softened by a small amount of milk — but differ slightly in ratios, milk texture, and vessel. In North America, the cortado was adopted by specialty cafés from the 2010s onwards and is now common in the best establishments.

In the specialty coffee context, the cortado is particularly valued because it allows appreciation of the aromatic profile of a single-origin espresso while tempering its intensity. An espresso with dark chocolate and hazelnut notes — profiles frequently found in Brazilian or Guatemalan coffees — finds in the cortado an ideal format. A surprising fact: the cortado is one of the few coffee drinks that maintains the same name in virtually every language worldwide, from Barcelona to Tokyo and São Paulo.

Cortado in the short milk-coffee family