Like many other places, Coffee in Spain plays a big role in the country's culture. And maybe even more so than anywhere else. However, people in Spain don't drink coffee; they take it: Tomar un cafe is how they express it. What coffee do they serve? Well, a lot depends on the milk content.

Con Hielo

Pronounced 'con EE-elo', this you will get two things. A glass with ice cubes and a cup of coffee (espresso). Add some sugar to the coffee and pour it over the ice cubes into the glass and stir it a bit. It not only looks cool, but makes the coffee cool too. Once it's cold enough, drink, err... take it. It is truly refreshing during the hot Spanish summer.

Solo

Pronounced 'SO-lo', this is pure espresso and nothing but espresso.

Cortado¹

This is a coffee served with a little bit of milk in an espresso cup, or glass.

Con Leche²

Served in an ordinary coffee cup, this is an espresso filled up with steamed milk. It reminds Italians of their own cappuccino, but the difference being that it is served without chocolate.

Leche Manchado³

The cup is filled with milk, and receives a spot - a mancha - of coffee. This is basically coffee-spotted milk.

Sugar?

There are no rules concerning sugar. But if you want to keep your concentration in Spain, especially in the summer, you have to add a little bit. Don't worry, the heat will make your cells burn away all the carbohydrates.

So, tomamos un cafe⁴?