While the flat white has become popular enough in the U.S. to be considered mainstream — yes, you can order one at Starbucks — the Australian coffee drink hasn’t lost any of its edge in the almost ten years since it first appeared stateside. Smaller  and creamier than a latte and a smidge larger than a cappuccino, the flat white lives in that delightful, liminal space between the two iconic drinks. A flat white is an undeniably pleasurable coffee experience, and if you’ve never had one, head to your local coffee shop to get your hands on one ASAP. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about the flat white. 

What Is a Flat White? 

Made with espresso and steamed milk, the flat white’s identity is formed with the milk steamer. “A flat white is a delicious to-the-point option for all coffee lovers,” says Rod Johnson, co-founder of BLK & Bold, a Black-owned coffee roasting company. “It’s where comfort meets intensity, and it allows the coffee drinker to truly taste the espresso with a creamy mouthfeel of steamed milk.” To make a flat white, creamy steamed milk is poured over a single or double shot of espresso, depending on the size of the drink you are making. It is a smaller coffee drink compared to others, about 5-6 ounces total, and can be served in a ceramic coffee cup or a heat-proof glass cup. 

Like many classic drinks, the origin of the flat white is heavily contested, though it is certain it came from “Down Under”. Both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented the flat white — Aussies in 1986, and Kiwis in 1989 — but both countries have been instrumental in globalizing quality coffee culture. This simple coffee drink is emblematic of Antipodean coffee culture, known for an emphasis on quality ingredients.

The flat white made its way into coffee shops in the U.S. in the early 2010s when new-wave coffee ushered in a more global outlook on caffeinated drinks. “In my opinion, a properly made flat white is a wonderful drink,” says Paige Chamberlain, former barista at Coffee By Design in Portland, ME. “It has a higher coffee concentration than milk, which is so delicious.” Pernell Cezar, Johnson’s co-founder at BLK & Bold agrees: “The star of the show is the espresso and everyone knows it with this drink.”