Gibraltar Coffee

Gibraltar coffee is an espresso drink made with equal parts espresso and frothed milk! Strong coffee and rich milk find the perfect balance.

Do you like a perfectly balanced espresso drink? try it Gibraltar! Of course, the popular milk coffee with its microfoam bubbles and frothy topping is a luxurious treat. But the Gibraltar is even more deliciously satisfying in our opinion. Equal parts espresso and frothed milk create the ideal balance between rich and creamy. This Spanish coffee drink is intensely smooth and made for sipping! Here’s how to do it.

What is Gibraltar coffee?

Gibraltar is an espresso drink made from equal parts espresso and frothed milk, also known as cortado. It is of Spanish origin: “cortado” means “cut” in Spanish, indicating that the espresso is cut with the milk.

A Gibraltar always the same volume: a double shot of espresso and 2 ounces of milk. The name comes from the glass in which it is served, called “Gibraltar glass”. It’s a 4.5 ounce glass with a tapered bottom. The tradition of calling it Gibraltar started in San Francisco with the Blue Bottle Coffee Company and spread from there. While some people argue that there are subtle differences between Cortado and Gibraltar coffee, our research has found that the only difference between the two is the glass.

How to Make Gibraltar Coffee: Basic Steps

You can’t order Gibraltar coffee from Starbucks (or even Cortado) so your best bet is a local coffeeshop or make it at home. It’s our favorite coffee drink because it contains less milk than a latte, and we find the balance of espresso and milk great. Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe below):

• Make a double espresso (see Preparing an espresso).
• Steam or froth ¼ cup whole milk Use the instructions below.
• Pour the espresso into a Gibraltar glass, then cover with milk.

Fancy a dairy-free Gibraltar? Try oat milk, the best plant-based milk for frothing and steaming.

Where can I find Gibraltar glasses?

Of course, you can serve Gibraltar coffee in any small glass you have on hand. But if you want to be 100% authentic, get a Gibraltar glass! Here’s what to look for:

• Try these Gibraltar glasses: It’s a 4.5-ounce fluted glass that tapers at the bottom.
• The original brand used in the San Francisco coffee shop is Libbey: you can search online for Libbey brand glasses if you want to be a purist!

Make the espresso

The most important part of Gibraltar coffee? Make the espresso! For coffee beans, use espresso roast coffee: This is important for a rich, robust flavor (we like Illy, Starbucks, or Intelligentsia espresso roast). Then use one of the following methods to prepare an espresso:

Steam or froth milk

For a Gibraltar coffee, the milk is steamed but not textured like a latte. This makes the drink easier to prepare at home since you don’t have to worry as much about microfoam bubbles. Here’s what to do:

• froth milk B. with a hand frother or a French press. The frothing process is what you need to do if you don’t have an espresso machine. The best tool is a milk frother if you have one, but a French press works well too. Go to How to froth milk.
• Steam the milk with an espresso machine. Of course, the best of Gibraltar uses frothed milk with an espresso machine! Go to How to Steam Milk and use the instructions to strain the milk to 20-25%.

And that’s it! Let us know if you make this Gibraltar coffee at home and what you think about it in the comments below.

More coffee drinks

At A Couple Cooks we are obsessed with coffee! Our barista series shows you how to make the best coffee drinks at home. Here are a few more to try if you like Gibraltar:

This Gibraltar coffee recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegans, plant-based and dairy-free, use oat milk.