To clarify, I’m talking about a drink made by pulling a couple shots of espresso over a cup of black coffee. According to Wikipedia this is known as a “red eye” if one shot is added, “black eye” for two, or “dead eye” for three. Apparently the “red eye” is known as a “depth charge” in the Midwest and a “shot in the dark” or “shotgun” in some parts of the South. A Doper recently called it “cowboy coffee” in a thread. I had never heard these terms in my life before, and have only ever known this drink as a “hammerhead”, which BTW has two shots of espresso in a “small” (12 oz) cup. Is this strictly a California or Western U.S. term?
Are any of the above terms preferred over others where you live? If not, what form is preferred? What do you call it? Are there names that are sure to get you this drink anywhere in the U.S.? What is this called in Italy? France? Spain? Israel? etc. etc…
I cannot imagine why anyone would consider this particular recipe.
Why dilute the purity and loveliness of the espresso taste with something that’s usually substandard?
If you’re in the kind of place that does decent coffee (there is still a disturbingly large number of places that only do instant or filter) and you want a stronger coffee here, you have a double or triple espresso. To make it long, add hot water (this is called Americano here - not sure if it’s the same in the US).
I myself like cappuchino, espresso, or a stronger Latte version. (Cappuchino with warmed milk added as well as the foam, but not quite to the degree of “actual” latte, it’s still primarily espresso, about a 60/40 mix.) I like them all sweet though, which I know makes me a heretic.
jjimm, it’s called cafe americano here, as well. I’m pretty sure nobody here gets that it’s a slur. Anyway, I don’t consider adding coffee to be “dilution”, but adding hot water is pretty much the textbook definition IMO. Much like you–but opposite–I don’t understand how people can drink cafe americano. I wouldn’t drink coffee or espresso at a place that doesn’t serve both in excellent fashion, anyway. And I always try both before I order a hammerhead. I work at such a place, anyway, and I only have to pay for the espresso part (and not much for that, either). When I go to my favorite local coffeehouse at midnight to study I drink about a hammerhead per hour to maintain some basic level of alertness plus one latte or cappuccino the whole night for sensory pleasure. I drink hammerheads because it’s a nice, efficient way to get lots of caffeine into my bloodstream quickly and, hell, I like both coffee and espresso.
I’ve heard it called a sledgehammer or a hammerhead. Sledgehammer seems to be more comon around baristas from the Bay Area and, for some reason, New Zealand.
Cappuccino usually has milk in it as well as foam. Unless someone specifically asks for their cappuccino wet or dry, I try to hit about a 3:2 ratio of foam to milk. No complaints yet. (I interpret wet to mean 1:1, and of course dry means no milk.) Like any barista, though, I yearn all day long for someone to order a non-fat dry cappuccino. My coworkers and I fight bitterly over who gets to make it–it’s the best way for the average barista to stroke their ego and show off their skills. Bragging rights abound for the one who can make a spoon stand up in the foam.
BTW, I don’t know where you go that the cappuccino is 60% espresso, but it sounds like the place for me.
I was guesstimating the proportion based on the Wikipedia article, which said the American Lattes are 1/3 cappuchino with thet rest being milk. I suppose maybe it’s the way I could get it in Italy though? I first became hooked on the concoction when an Italian fellow at “mom and pop” cafe made one for me several years ago, so maybe he made me an “authentic” one? ETA: I like mine a bit darker than the image on the article shows it. Not that I get good cappuchino drinks very often at all. Maybe every three months or so if I am lucky.
Out in Malaysia in the coffee stores they call it an Americano. Iced americanos were actually fairly refreshing in 34C and 100% humidity.
Central Asia and Southern Cone they just look at you funny if you ask for one
In northern California I knew it as a “depth charger”.
This is a strictly ultilitarian drink, to be ordered in places where both the drip coffee and the espresso is shitty, preferably the night before an unstarted term paper is due.
Zabali, at my work cappucinos, lattes, and mochas are by default 13-22% espresso depending on what size you get (the bigger the cup, the higher percentage of espresso) and, of course, we pour as much espresso in it as requested if the customer wants more or less of it. Myself, I just made a mocha (with my ghetto-ass Krups espresso maker) that was about 1 oz chocolate sauce, 3 oz milk plus foam, and about 6 oz espresso (or about 4 shots). So, 54.5% espresso by my calculations. (Can you fucking tell I’m caffeinated? I can’t believe how much time I’m spending calculating this stuff. I just finished the mocha and downed the last shot of espresso in the little mini-carafe.) I was trying to make a cappuccino, but it’s pretty difficult to get a good head of foam going with that cheap-ass thing and it ended up more like a latte–so I figured, what the hell, I have a little bit of chocolate sauce left, I’ll pour some in and call it a mocha.
Gave up on sleep a little while ago. Stayed up too late doing homework, and at this point if I went to sleep I wouldn’t wake up in time for class, so I’m going to watch a movie, probably have more espresso, and do some dishes like I told the roomie I would…
Up here in the snowy wildernesses of Northern Michigan, one shot in a cup of coffee is a Shot in the Dark, and two shots is a Red-Eye. No clue what more shots would be, apart from a heck of a lot of caffeine.
I suppose maybe it’s the way I could get it in Italy though? I first became hooked on the concoction when an Italian fellow at “mom and pop” cafe made one for me several years ago, so maybe he made me an “authentic” one? 
ETA: I like mine a bit darker than the image on the article shows it. Not that I get good cappuchino drinks very often at all. Maybe every three months or so if I am lucky.