Ristretto > What exactly is a ristretto?

Rarely served and even more rarely served well, exactly what defines a ristretto is not always agreed upon in the world of specialty coffee.  But what a ristretto aims to be and should be, is the best of the best - the finest and purest expression of the coffee experience.

Technically, a ristretto, (Italian for restricted) is an extremely short coffee drink, even more concentrated than a traditional espresso shot.

It’s the purest form of espresso coffee, producing only around 0.5 to 0.75 ounces of coffee in around 25 seconds extraction time – around half the volume of a single espresso shot, yet produced in the same time.

In a ristretto shot, there is nowhere to hide.  Any imperfection in the beans or the preparation will be accentuated in the taste. But when it all comes together – an excellent blend, well roasted, well stored and well prepared – it can be the most sublime coffee. Devoid of bitterness, rich in sweetness and flavour, it’s the sort of drink that makes you realise why people drink coffee.  It’s that rare occasion when the coffee tastes as good as the aroma that drew you to it originally.

A ristretto then, is the purest, finest expression of the coffee experience, and the perfect name for a company that delivers this to your event or workplace.