Why Is It Called Dirty Coffee And How Do You Make It?

Move over martinis, dirty is the up and coming way to order coffees rather than cocktails. Originating in Japan, the dirty coffee is the pop-culture sensation sweeping through Asia and coming to Europe and the U.S. The drink is dubbed dirty for the way the espresso shots swirl into the milk, dirtying the otherwise pristine white color. There seems to be an overlap in branding between drinks like the dirty coffee and the already popular dirty chai, but how the dirty coffee is presented is the highlight.

Despite the name, dirty coffees aren't made with regular drip coffee, but instead with espresso, which has more to the beans than a typical brew. For the best dirty coffee, the preferred style of espresso shot is a ristretto. There are a few differences between brewed coffee and espresso that lend themselves to the flavor profile of the dirty coffee, even more so with the shift to ristretto. These shots are shorter pulls than with traditional espressos. In turn, ristretto shots give off a silkier mouth feel and sweeter, richer notes from the beans at first sip.

After pulling the perfect shots, they are poured over a glass of cold milk. The typical build of a dirty coffee will have two ounces of espresso with about four ounces of milk. That's it, the simplest espresso drink you could make. You'll want to start enjoying it quickly to fully appreciate the beverage; the first taste will be bursting with robust notes of espresso with subsequent sips mellowing out in flavor as the espresso mixes into the milk.

So, dirty coffee, iced latte, iced coffee, flat white — what are the distinctions? Well, dirty coffee is inherently served chilled, at minimum lower than room temperature. If it were served with hot or with steamed milk, then that would change it from a dirty coffee to a flat white or even classic latte. Flat whites essentially carry the least amount of foam compared to other hot espresso drinks like lattes.

Is it just an iced latte then? Also no, because there is no ice added to the drink. Frequently with regular iced lattes, and regular iced coffees, the drink will be served with the espresso already marbled throughout the drink, which contradicts the entire point of the dirty coffee aesthetic. You want to experience the drink as the flavors meld together.

This style of drink seems to be playing off the already niche visuals of drink-based art in coffeehouse culture. Absolutely needed in the presentation of a dirty coffee is a transparent glass so the consumer can appreciate every little twist and twirl the espresso makes as it winds through the milk. If you have an espresso machine at home, this is perhaps the easiest aesthetic drink you could make if learning how to make your own latte art seems too daunting a task.