Free Republic

If you've ever ordered a shot of espresso from an Italian-style café and were surprised to be served a small glass of sparkling water alongside it, there's actually a few good reasons as to why. First, the sparkling water is a palate cleanser that can prepare your taste buds to detect all the nuanced espresso flavors... Second, espresso can be dehydrating, so having something like a glass of ice cold sparkling or still mineral water with it can help counteract that effect... The true history of the custom is difficult to pinpoint precisely, but sparkling espresso or coffee drinks are...

Some iced coffees being sold on the high street contain as many calories as a hot dinner, a cancer charity warns. The chief offender had 561 calories, others contained more than 450, and the majority had in excess of 200. It is the combination of sugar, full-fat milk and cream which appear to push some of the cool coffees into the upper echelons of the calorie scale. The World Cancer Research Fund, which identified the drinks' calories, noted healthier versions were available. The "venti" or largest version of Starbucks' Dark Berry Mocha Frappuchino - a limited offer for the summer...

Has anybody else noticed the sudden appearance of iced coffee at fast food restaurants? Yeah, Dunkin' Donuts had Coolattas for years but now they have regular iced coffee as well. On top of that McDonald's and Burger King are now prominently promoting iced coffee. I'm not complaining. I'm a big caffeine addict but it is usually too hot for me to drink coffee in the afternoon. However, I now usually pick up an iced coffee in the afternoons to cool off and fulfill my caffeine needs. I guess the fast food restaurants have figured out that iced coffee is a...