Gibraltar Vs Cortado: Is There A Difference Between Coffee Drinks?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

All craft espresso beverages are based on some combination of espresso and milk. The magic happens in the manipulation of the ratios — and today, we're taking a look at two cafe classics that demonstrate the effect of those getting those ratios right: the Gibraltar and the cortado. Both drinks are physically much smaller than a latte or cappuccino, served in a shot glass rather than a sip cup, and comprising less than five ounces total. Their chief difference is a subtle yet impactful one. Gibraltars use a ratio of a double shot of espresso to just under two ounces of milk, while cortados use a one-to-one ratio of espresso (single shot) and one ounce of thinly steamed milk.

It may seem like an inconsequential difference, but these drinks are far from interchangeable. As a result of these different ingredient ratios, Gibraltars taste bold, intense, and more robustly espresso-forward, while cortados are smoother, less acidic, and more expressive of the subtler tasting notes in the espresso grounds.

Cortados are also overall more adaptable to slight variations compared to the Gibraltar's strict assembly. You can even make a cortado using a Nespresso machine. Cortados are also more lax on the serving: Where Gibraltars are traditionally served in a Libbey Gibraltar rocks glass, any small glass with thick walls or tiny ceramic mug around 4.5-ounces gets the job done for serving a cortado.

Gibraltars are made with a double shot of espresso and a dollop of milk foam, yielding a strong coffee flavor and a smooth, subtly pillowy mouthfeel.Typically, Gibraltars feature a double espresso shot and a scant two ounces of steamed milk, totaling just under four ounces in the completed beverage. Another distinguishing factor is that Gibraltars tend to feature latte art, where cortados typically do not. In fact, in the industry, Gibraltars are often used to gauge a barista's latte art skills, as with such a small beverage in such a small glass, the milk must be steamed to perfection and poured without error.

Gibraltars are traditionally served in Libbey Gibraltar glasses (from which the drink gets its name). These specialized vessels are designed with octagonal bottoms and tapered sides, facilitating the ideal temperature, flavor balance, and sip shape for the drink. With such a small bevy, details count for extra. 

Despite sharing a name with "the Rock" on the Mediterranean Sea, the Gibraltar espresso drink is a uniquely American creation. Its invention is credited to Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco. Per the lore, in 2005, the Blue Bottle accidentally ordered a large shipment of tiny rocks glasses. Rather than return them, the team invented a drink to fit those miniature vessels. The result of all that experimentation was named after the drinkware — the Libbey Gibraltar rocks glass. Today, the Gibraltar remains an enduring symbol of craft coffee culture and appreciation of quality and precision. 

Smoother than the bold Gibraltar, cortados comprise equal parts espresso and steamed milk. One espresso shot and one ounce of steamed milk (no milk foam) is typical. Although, at coffee shops, it isn't uncommon to receive a cortado made with two ounces espresso and two ounces steamed milk — a slightly larger serving that remains pious to the cortado's equal ratio assembly.

The steamed milk (holding back the foam) is slowly poured into the espresso, thereby opening up the espresso's subtler aromatic and flavor tones without muting them. Cortados are all about balance, smoothness, and expression; the taste is comparable to a stronger flat white. Notably, the cortado does not customarily feature latte art, since the milk is steamed so thin, the foam is not included, and such a small amount of milk is added at all.

Cortado's hail from Spain's Basque country, and in Spanish, the name "cortado" derives from "cortar" meaning "to cut," a nod to how the thin steamed milk cuts that robust, bitter espresso with a softening edge. This is also why cortados are served slightly less hot than Gibraltars (cortados range between 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit; Gibraltars range between 150-160 degrees Fahrenheit) to allow for immediate sipping of that freshly-cut, expressive espresso. As previously mentioned, any 4.5-ounce glass will do, but cortados are most commonly served in a smooth-sided carajillo shot glass. Just be sure not to use a glass that's too large, which will visually dwarf the cortado and suffocate its aromatic qualities alongside.