5 things to know about Australian café culture

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You might wonder why Australia, as a former colony of a largely tea-sipping nation, would develop such a strong love for coffee. The answer can be traced back to the invention of the spring-levered, steam-powered espresso machine by Achille Gaggia in the mid-twentieth century. When droves of Italians migrated to Melbourne after the Second World War, they brought these machines—and their love for coffee—along with them.

The ensuing espresso bars that cropped up attracted a set of young Australian bohemians, and the island country, in the process of redefining itself after colonial rule, was perfectly placed to accept this new culture. A world away from the largely French-influenced culinary world in Europe, Australian coffee culture has been southern Italian-based from the beginning and was then free to experiment and evolve into a scene all its own!

Anyone who’s been to ‘Straya knows that life is slower and laid-back, more surf and sunshine than hustle and bustle. Australians love eating and drinking out, and cafés provide much-appreciated venues for socialising. A good cup of joe is also a prerequisite enjoyment in the mornings and a way of life for Aussies.

The majority of Australian cafés are privately owned instead of conglomerate chains, so there are tons of places bursting with charm and personality. It also means that competition is fierce, and the community of Australian baristas are constantly seeking to improve and learn from each other. Gone are the days when businesses would poach each others’ baristas, or were keeping their blends secret—Australian cafés are more than proud to prop up and be a part of its specific culture. When you walk into an Aussie café, you can expect sunny service, a great platform for new flavours and ideas, and the perfect way to juice up and power through your day.

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Another factor that has contributed to the success of Australian cafés lies in the recent growth in wellness trends. An Aussie cup of coffee is generally accompanied by food that happens to be pretty healthy. While Starbucks was serving heavy cakes and scones with their drinks, Australian cafés already had avo toast and quinoa bowls on their menus.

This fits right into the lifestyle choices of the yoga-going hoards, the health-conscious generation of youths, as well as Australia’s Asian neighbours who are increasingly obsessed with coffee. When other drip feed-led cultures were still surfing the second wave of coffee, Australia seemed to already be riding the surges of the third, and so have since become hugely influential on the coffee world stage.

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Of course, there’s one beverage that symbolises Australian coffee culture, and that’s the flat white. Striking the perfect balance between the intensity of an espresso shot and the milky smoothness of a latte, a flat white is not frothed, consisting simply of a coffee shot poured into steamed milk. Long before big coffee chains started introducing them on their menus, flat whites have already been popular Down Under for decades.

It’s interesting to note that New Zealand also lays claim to this drink though. The key difference between an Australian flat white and a Kiwi one is that the latter uses espresso shots while the former typically uses ristretto shots. This might not mean much to anyone who isn’t a barista or a massive caffeine addict, but an espresso shot is made by pulling just a few seconds longer than a ristretto, giving it about 50 percent more volume. Therefore, a New Zealand flat white is going to be more intense compared to its Aussie counterpart.

But regardless of which side of the argument you’re on, there’s no doubt that Australians and their flat whites have made an indelible mark on the coffee scene, and that there have since been countless coffee shops cropping up with Australian café culture at its spiritual core.