What’s In a Breve? You Will Like It
Those with little knowledge about beverages might find it hard to order from a coffee shop. After all, how are you supposed to know the difference between a breve and a latte? Also, what even is a breve in the first place?
Today, we’ll discuss all things breve-related, such as what this coffee truly is, how many calories it contains, and how to pronounce it. In that way, you’ll seem like a regular old coffee connoisseur on your next visit to the coffee shop.
The Lowdown on Breve Coffee
Is it just you, or have you encountered this word somewhere before? It isn’t just you because they also used this term in the music and phonics industries. Of course, that’s the extent of our “breve” discussion in those contexts, as we’ll focus solely on its use in the realm of coffee.
Breve is a term used to describe a piping hot coffee drink that’s milk-based. Most coffee lovers know it to be the American version of the Italian Cappuccino. It also contains a shot of espresso and equal parts frothed and steamed milk.
They normally serve a cafe breve in a 150 ml to 180 ml standard Cappuccino cup. “Breve” is something you add to the name of any traditional espresso-based beverage that replaces the milk component with the half cream and half whole milk combination. You then get a version of the drink that’s richer, creamier, and more powerful.
The Breve’s half-and-half combo also leads to better frothing, and who doesn’t love dialed-up frothiness with coffee? It just makes drinking the entire thing a lot more fun, though an interesting tidbit about this coffee category is that they don’t add sweeteners.
As a cold brew, the breve latte still keeps it’s half-and-half combo, but only this time it can come with up to two shots of espresso served in a 350 ml cup. Of course, serving sizes may differ, depending on which cafe you’re at. Some of the more popular coffee shops can serve you up to almost a liter of iced breve.
The “Starbucks” Definition of Breve
What happens when you order a breve at Starbucks, a place known for adopting their own coffee jargons? Take note that if you’re a regular at a different coffee shop, the Starbucks menu could so easily confuse you.
At Starbucks, they teach baristas that breve simply means half-and-half; that’s it. The part where it’s a coffee drink with one or two espressos shots isn’t applicable there. Hence, when you order a breve from this place without specifying, you could get a cup of steamed and whole milk half and half. Of course, you can remedy this easily by adding the word “latte” after “breve.”
Still, a Starbucks barista might understand what you meant in the first place and serve exactly the drink you want. But you wouldn’t want to put anything to chance, right? So, it’s best to make your intentions clear before making the order.
The fact is, the Starbucks definition of breve has somehow muddled the meaning of the word, causing confusion among baristas and customers alike across the coffee industry.
How Is the Word “Breve” Pronounced?
Nobody likes it when they don’t sound like they know what they’re talking about. Of course, you want baristas to think you know exactly what you’re ordering, and that means getting the pronunciation down pat.
Basically, when pronouncing the word “breve,” you put stress on the first syllable and the final “e.” Note that its pronunciation in the musical context calls for the silent “e” sound, making it sound completely different from the “coffee” term.
How Many Calories Are in a Cup of Breve?
Well, that depends on the size of the cup they serve the coffee in. Though, a breve latte contains more calories than the average cup of joe. That’s because of its milk content, half-and-half instead of whole milk.
In a 240 ml cup, a half-and-half serving has around 320 calories instead of 150 calories for a whole milk serving. That’s more than twice the amount of calories compared to its whole-milk counterpart. That might be something you want to watch out for if you’re looking to manage your weight.
However, the iced breve versions contain fewer calories since the half-and-half cream and milk get diluted by the melting ice cubes. Though if you’re really looking for a breve latte with fewer calories, some places offer fat-free and low-fat versions of half-and-half.
Are You Satisfied With Your “Breve” Education?
We hope that answers all your questions about the breve, but it really is just one of the amazing coffee drinks out there to try out. It comes in different versions, depending on where you order. Also, considering how you can call anything a breve if it has the half-and-half whole milk and cream combo, you might even want to experiment on a breve of your own.