40 Coffee Slang Terms: Fun & Useful Words for Coffee Lovers!

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For many of us, coffee is a great friend or even a best friend for some. And like we do with any friend, we give it a few nicknames.

Coffee slang can be overwhelming at first because there are so many synonyms and terms about coffee out there. We did some research collecting the most important phrases so that after reading this article, you will know all about the fun slang for coffee!

Coffee Slang

Double espresso

Here is some of the commonly used coffee slang and the most popular nicknames for coffee:

  • A Cup of Juan Valdez’s Best
  • Battery Acid (for bitter coffee)
  • Bean Juice
  • Brain Fuel
  • Brain Juice
  • Cup of Joe
  • Cuppa
  • Dirt
  • Go Juice
  • Heart Starter
  • High Octane
  • Hot Stuff
  • Java Lava
  • Jet Fuel
  • Jitter Juice
  • Leaded
  • Liquid Energy
  • Liquid Gold
  • Morning Brew
  • Mud
  • Rocket Fuel
  • Unleaded
  • The Fix
  • Wake-Up Juice

Coffee Synonyms

Barista pouring latte art into a cup

Image Credit: Tyler Nix, Unsplash

  • Brew
  • Café
  • Caffeine
  • Espresso
  • Jamocha
  • Java
  • Joe
  • Mocha

Useful Coffee Terms

Aeropress: a manual device for preparing coffee using pressure. The Aeropress is a great choice for people who are on the move and looking for something portable that extracts delicious coffee flavors.

Barista: a barista is a person in charge of making your coffee.

Chemex: a manual pour-over style glass coffeemaker that brews a smoother cup with less bitterness because of the glass construction, a special filter, and the unique shape of the device.

Cupping: cupping is a professional tasting method used by coffee experts.

Demitasse: a demitasse is a smaller 2-3 oz cup used to serve espresso.

Drip coffee: a brewing method exposing coffee beans to hot water.

Fairtrade: a system of certification to ensure fairer pay to farmers and high-quality products.

Filter coffee: a brewing method using paper, ceramic, or plastic filters to control the water temperature fully and the coffee.

Latte art: is practiced by professional baristas to make sure that the coffee looks tempting and personalized.

Moka Pot: also called as the “stovetop espresso maker” it was invented by an Italian engineer, Alfonso Bialetti. The Moka pot is an easy and affordable way to prepare espresso-like coffee at home.

Roasting: the process that turns green beans into roasted coffee.

Why Is Coffee Called Joe?

Joe is the primary slang for coffee in the US. The first written reference to a cup of coffee as “Cup of Joe” is from 1846, but the name’s true origin is unclear. There are three leading theories on the origins of this term:

  • A cup of Joe could be a reference to coffee being the average person’s drink. And Joe is the average person’s name.
  • Joe Daniels was a legendary Navy secretary who banned alcohol on U.S. Navy ships in 1914. His action made coffee the strongest drink on those ships and possibly led to the term: cup of Joe.
  • Joe could be a short version of Jamocha or the related Jamoke, as this was a popular name for coffee in the 1930s.

Takeaway: Slang for Coffee

Coffee culture is about connecting with other people, having fun, and learning about coffee. It may seem complex at first because there is so much information available and heavy use of coffee jargon and terminology.

Add coffee slang to all of this, and you have got a large number of phrases. Hopefully, this article helped you familiarize yourself with the most important terms, and you will be more comfortable the next time you are discussing this great beverage!

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Featured Image Credit: Nathan Dumlao, Unsplash