The Gibraltar
The Story Behind Our Favorite Off-Menu Drink
Back when we were getting ready to open our matchbook-sized Hayes Valley Kiosk, someone bought a bunch of Gibraltar octagonal beveled glass tumblers under the (mistaken) impression that they would be big enough for cupping coffee. At 4.5 ounces, the glasses turned out to be just a little too small, but when our baristas realized that the petite transparent cups were perfect for evaluating shots, they were repurposed for making sure our new espresso machine was up to snuff.
Searching for a more approachable version of the standard espresso shot for a few of their new regulars, our Hayes Valley baristas started adding a generous helping of steamed milk to the hot espresso in their new glasses.
“It’s really a cortado, but we didn’t know that at the time.”
"It's really a cortado," writes founder James Freeman in The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee." But we didn't know that at the time."
Not unlike Blue Bottle itself, the “short, strong latte” in a pretty cup took off. Among Blue Bottle baristas, its tight coffee-to-milk ratio spoke to a preference for coffee-forward drinks. Among guests, it found a loyal following, too. As our cafes started popping up around the country (and even crossed the Pacific Ocean to Asia), the Gibraltar began to find surprising international success, appearing on menus in cafes unaffiliated with Blue Bottle in the United States, Europe, Japan, and beyond.
While James doesn't think Blue Bottle is responsible for the uptick in the drink's popularity, he does think it capitalized on an unarticulated desire for a short, concentrated espresso and milk drink that's made to be consumed on the spot. Whether you're looking for a middle ground between the macchiato and the latte, or are a barista in need of quick pick-me-up before going back to the hectic work of espresso slinging, this adorable little drink—to us, an expression of the magic ratio between espresso and milk—is right up your alley.