Eiskaffee is not Iced Coffee

Cold coffee with a German twist

What’s better than a cup of iced coffee on a hot summer day?

If you walk into a German coffee shop and order an Eiskaffee, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. That is, unless you like coffee with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

A plastic cup containing black coffee, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a wooden spoon and a paper straw

In Germany and Austria, Eiskaffee refers to a drink made of coffee, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. It is served in a long glass, usually with a straw and/or a spoon.

If you’re in the mood for a “regular” iced coffee with ice cubes, you can ask for a Kaffee auf Eiswürfeln (coffee on ice cubes).

The confusion stems from the fact that, in German, Eis can either mean ice (as in frozen water) or ice cream.


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