Simply asking for a cup of coffee in Vienna won’t get you too far. The Viennese are exceedingly particular about how they take it, and a Vienna coffee may not answer to the same name as your go-to brew at Starbucks.
Just as the coffee house is a Viennese institution, so too are the extraordinary varieties of coffee available. Over the centuries, the Viennese devised their own specific vocabulary to convey precisely how they like their beverage served. The following list covers most variations of Vienna coffee, although there are undoubtedly others.
Variations on Vienna Coffee
Brauner: coffee with milk (small or large)
Melange: a blend of coffee and hot milk
Kurz: extra strong
Obers: with cream
Mokka: strong black coffee
Kapuziner: black coffee with a dash of milk, usually frothed
Schwarzer: black coffee (small or large)
Konsul: black coffee with a dash of cream
Kaffeinfreier Kaffee: decaffeinated coffee