Free Republic

NATIONAL ESPRESSO DAY Get the pure coffee essence on National Espresso Day! Whether you sip one cup or keep buzzing all day long, November 23rd is the day. #NationalEspressoDay The word espresso (/ɛˈsprɛsoʊ/; Italian pronunciation: [eˈsprɛsso]) in Italian means ‘quick in time.’ Before the advent of the espresso machine, espresso was simply a coffee expressly made for the person ordering it. It was also made with recently roasted and freshly ground beans. The cup was brewed shortly before serving. In the late 1800s, this practice was commonplace in cafés and restaurants. While today’s espresso maintains the freshness quality, it has...

Ordering an espresso beverage can be intimidating. It may seem like everyone but you knows the lingo. They rattle off long and complicated drink orders without taking a breath. I’ll have a double tall decaf breve latte, easy foam, one Splenda. Double cupped. There could be many reasons why you have not yet been assimilated into the coffee culture. Perhaps you're more of a tea drinker. Perhaps you usually like the ice blended drinks, but today you want something hot. Or maybe four dollars for a drink always seemed excessive, until your boss gave you that Starbucks gift certificate. Whatever...

The Pope yesterday beatified a 17th-century friar credited with halting a Muslim invasion of Europe and in the process gave the world cappuccino coffee. More than 300 years after his death, Marco d'Aviano cleared the last step before sainthood, as the Pope recognised the friar's miraculous work, including curing a nun who had been bedridden for 13 years. When a vast Ottoman Turk army was marching on Vienna in 1683, d'Aviano was sent by the Pope to unite the outnumbered Christian troops. After a prayer meeting led by d'Aviano, they were spurred to victory. As the Turks fled, legend has...