Australia’s love affair with the piccolo latte

Did Australia invent the flat white or did New Zealand? Whilst we can’t take credit for coffee, but there’s no doubt in our minds that Sydney-siders and Melbournites brought the world the piccolo latte.

Origin of the Piccolo Latte

Australia has been heavily influenced and setup by European immigrants. This brought technology to coffee making and some rich, full-bodied coffee flavours to our cafe tables and new ways to drink them. Dubbed, in true Aussie fashion, as the ‘low-tide latte’, the piccolo became trendy about ten years ago and has been floating around the cafe scene since. For those whose caffeine addictions are in full swing and drink a couple of cups a day (no judgement here, coffee is life!), the piccolo is the perfect little concoction to get the full flavour of your coffee without filling yourself up with too much milk during the day.

Over time we adapted the macchiato latte to become a kind of in between, mini-latte or piccolo latte. This satisfies the ‘hit’ of caffeine, while adding more sweetness of milk than a traditional macchiato.

How it is made

To make a piccolo latte, drop a single espresso, or double ristretto for extra body, and steam your milk to approximately 60 degrees with very little foam. Pour into a small four oz glass. The ratio of foam to coffee should resemble a mini latte with half a finger thickness of foam.

Our specialty coffee roastery Black Market Roasters are passionate about specialty coffee and rotate new single origins each month with delicious, new and bold flavours. Find out how to order our beans by giving us a holla on 1300 030 327 for your perfect piccolo!