What is a 'dry' cappuccino?

What is a Dry Cappuccino?

Let’s get this out of the way right now. Happy Anniversary to Meiling and me! From the very beginning coffee was a big part of our relationship. Meiling and I met at cosmetology school and we would spend our breaks at the coffee shop next door, ‘just as friends’ of course. Over those cups of coffee, we got to know one another and eventually become more than friends. Once we started Catfight, all our trips centered around coffee. You could say we were in a thruple with the two of us and coffee.

On our recent trip around Asia, we noticed that a lot of independent coffee shops had not survived the lockdown of the Covid pandemic. This left us with our next option: to support smaller local chains instead of international ones.

  But chains are chains. Even if they are smaller ones they are usually more concerned with the number of orders than the quality of the product. So, we were often disappointed in our morning cappuccinos which were more like lattes…or worse, a cup of hot milk with a single, sad shot of espresso.

  As a way to test the barista and make sure they were paying attention, we would often ask for Dry Cappuccinos.

Before we discuss what a dry cappuccino let’s discuss what a REAL cappuccino is. A real Cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk, and 1/3 foam. Preferably in an 8 oz coffee mug.

A dry cappuccino is when you get less milk and a little more foam.  By asking for a dry cappuccino it makes the barista pay attention to the ratios in your drink. It lets them know you might be a picky customer and therefore shouldn’t screw up your drink.  For my personal taste, I would rather taste more espresso than the aforementioned cup of hot milk with a shot of espresso in it so it’s a bit of a win/win.

  Next time you go to a new coffee shop and don’t have confidence in the barista, try asking for a Dry Cappuccino.