Melbourne coffee orders you didn’t know existed

WANT to be part of Melbourne’s secret coffee clique? Here are the special local brews you need to know about — and there’s not a caramel latte in sight.

YOU’RE not a real Melburnian until you’ve found yourself ordering one of these coffees.

Our city prides itself on making tasty brews and has fun with the way they’re served (think avocado skins, waffle cones).

But there’s a new breed of coffee drinker in our city.

And they’re part of a secret club ordering codeword coffees you’ve never heard of.

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Have you tried a Magic, Red-Eye, Piccolo, a Double Rizz or even the elusive Voodoo?

You’ll be surprised how many people do each day.

Abacus Bar and Kitchen in Prahran. Picture: Rebecca Michael.

Abacus Bar and Kitchen, on Chapel St in Prahran, doesn’t shy away from these left-of-field orders.

Barista Josh McAsey said the Magic and Piccolo were slowly replacing the flat white and macchiato as popular coffees.

Thought it was a latte? You’re halfway there.

DOUBLE RIZZ

Fancy a stronger coffee without that nasty bitter taste? Maybe you should try a ‘Double Rizz’.

The Double Rizz is commonly served as a double ristretto latte.

Most specialty cafes are now replacing a regular coffee shot with a double ristretto.

“A double ristretto is a double shot that’s been cut off at about 19 seconds,” Mr McAsey said.

“So you get more water content and less coffee, but it’s not as bitter.”

The Magic looks like a latte, but is served in a tulip cup. Photo: Bob Barker.

MAGIC

This coffee provides the best of both worlds — a stronger brew minus the bitterness and less milk.

Put simply it’s a ¾ full flat white, made with a double ristretto shot.

Cafes serve the Magic in a special tulip mug or ¾ full in a small takeaway cup. (Some even have a takeaway cup designed for the Magic.)

Mr McAsey said the Magic surprisingly originated from our Sydney neighbours but has since taken off in Melbourne.

“It’s originally from Sydney and it’s designed to have a higher caffeine content just without the bitterness,” he said.

“(Sydney) has a weak version (of the Magic) which I believe is called a Bachelor. They’re trying to be like Melbourne.”

But don’t get ahead of yourself and order a Magic in Sydney — it’s only known among Melbourne baristas.

Still not convinced the Magic is a thing? They’re even serving it in Bali.

PICCOLO

The piccolo is best described as a ‘mini latte’.

It’s made with one espresso shot served with frothed milk in a 100ml glass

Mr McAsey said the piccolo was perfect for those wanting their coffee hit without too much milk.

“It’s better for those people who have troubles with digesting milk and they still want the full flavour of coffee,” he said.

Love a strong coffee? Try a red eye. If you’d like an even stronger, try a Black Eye. Picture: Stephen Cooper.

RED EYE/ BLACK EYE

This type of coffee order flys under the radar but is known in barista circles.

Beware it packs a punch.

McAsey said a Red Eye is: “one shot of filtered coffee with a shot of espresso. It’s quite a smoother coffee and it’s for those real caffeine fiends.”

A Black Eye is one shot of filtered coffee and two espresso shots.

Don’t be fooled. A ‘Voodoo’ is just a long black. But only filled ¾ full. So there’s none of this spillage business. Picture: Supplied.

VOODOO

This mystical coffee order is in the same field as the Magic.

The elusive brew is not widely known — in fact, we’re convinced it’s made up.

McAsey, who has never heard of the concoction, said it was a long black in disguise.

“It’s a long black, don’t let them fool you,” he said.

People in some coffee circles will argue the Voodoo is a long black filled ¾ full to prevent spillage over the top of the cup.

McAsey usually serves long blacks at Abacus in a tulip cup.

“Adding our water, half way up, using a tulip cup and we are extracting a double shot,” he said.

“The aim for one of these coffees is to create a good enough crema on top, just for appearance.” “Definitely keep in mind the crema is going to be quite bitter,” he said.

Sounds like black magic to us.

THE NITTY GRITTY:

— Abacus uses Padre’s Daddy’s Girl DG blend made from premium Colombian and Indian beans.

— All espresso coffee is prepared using a manual Slayers coffee machine, with each coffee extraction precisely timed and measured.

@Kara_Irving

Instagram: Kara_Irving