Tiny Drink, Big Influence: The History of the Cortado

Last updated May 21, 2025

An overhead image of a cortado with heart-shaped latte art.

With humble beginnings in Spain, the cortado is now popular around the world. Today, we explore how the small yet mighty drink amassed a global fan base.

BY GEMMA BOOTHROYD
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Featured photo by Tadas Mikuckis

There’s just something about the cortado’s strict one-to-one milk-to-coffee ratio that exudes a certain je ne sais quoi. The double shot of espresso, coupled with equal parts milk, is fairly straightforward—and yet, it’s that casual yet dainty efficiency that makes it an increasingly popular choice.

Not as potent as a straight-up espresso, not nearly as meek as a latte, the cortado stands out for its simplicity and balance. And it crossed countries, continents, and oceans to establish its global presence.

Born and raised in Spain, the cortado now has a heavily stamped passport, both integrating and evolving across different cultures. But at its core the drink is modest, with origins as a Spanish working-class necessity, rather than its current form as a third-wave café nicety.

An overhead image of a cortado with heart-shaped latte art. The cortado sits on a golden saucer. — Made with a simple one-to-one ratio of espresso to milk, the cortado has become a staple in many countries around the world. Photo by Gemma Boothroyd.

Where the Story Begins

The cortado’s story starts in early 20th-century Spain, where it was popularized by workers on the hunt for a quick yet balanced caffeine fix during their short breaks. The cortado’s name comes from the Spanish verb cortar, meaning ”to cut.” This refers to the espresso’s sharpness being “cut,” or softened, by a helping of milk.

The espresso, without milk, was a bit too fast for the Spanish. After all, a popular expression in the nation is, “Sin prisa, pero sin pausa,” which means, ”Without hurry, but without pause.” It suggests that one’s pace be deliberate but relaxed, avoiding both rushing and procrastination. It’s a reminder to keep moving forward—but to do so leisurely. Spain is the nation of the siesta, after all.

Taking the time to add steamed milk to one’s espresso could be considered a symbol of just that. The Spanish consume much more milk than Italians, the espresso kings. And they also don’t hesitate to consume milky beverages after 11 a.m.—a massive faux-pas for Italians. So, it made sense that the drink of choice of working Spaniards would include milk, compared to the espresso in Italy.

A view of outdoors seating on a cafe patio. Patrons sit at wooden tables, drinking cortados as they relax. — Small and efficient, yet slightly luxurious, cortados were originally meant to be consumed while seated and relaxed—as opposed to Italian espresso, which is often consumed on the go. Photo by Gunnar Ridderström.

The Cortado Sets Sail

Fairly quickly after its advent, the cortado grew popular enough to spread beyond Spain, first reaching neighboring Portugal. This was a fairly straightforward journey, as Spain and Portugal share the Iberian Peninsula, which has facilitated plenty of exchange among culinary practices and traditions. Coffee culture is no exception.

The cortado then ventured across the Atlantic, all the way to Latin America, during Spanish and Portuguese colonization. Spain’s colonization of Cuba until 1898 led to the drink proliferating across the island. By the mid-20th century, the adapted cortadito was a staple of Cuban coffee culture.

The History of the Cortado: A green car is seen driving down a colorful street in Cuba. — To this day, the cortadito remains a staple of Cuban culture. Photo by Eva Blue.

The cortadito has the same quantities of milk and espresso, but includes a sweetened espresso shot—likely due to Cuba’s rich history of sugarcane production, also reflecting a Cuban preference for sweeter flavors. Many traditional Cuban beverages are sweet, such as guarapo (fresh sugarcane juice) and batidos (fruit milkshakes). The cortadito is yet another popular hit on the list.

As the Cuban community grew in cities like Miami, they brought their coffee traditions with them—including the cortadito. This migration helped introduce and popularize the drink in regions where Cuban communities settled.

But the cortadito quickly returned to its cortado roots, as Americans leaned toward unsweetened coffee drinks, and ones more similar to their usual lattes and cappuccinos.

Originating as a working-class favorite in Spain, the cortado is now popular in third-wave coffee shops around the world. Photo by Evan Wise.

From a working-class favorite in Spain to a global third-wave coffee sensation, the cortado has amassed a universal fanbase, which has often caused some misunderstanding around its origin story. It goes without saying that plenty of countries come together to turn a bean into a beverage, but each of those beverages has its own unique blend of history, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gemma Boothroyd is a Canadian freelance writer living in London. If she’s not reviewing her favorite cortados around the world, she’s probably on a run in search of a new café with another cortado to review. Click here to learn more about her work.

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Source: Barista Magazine