By Guest Columnist John Whitman

People often ask me: "what's in that little cup?" Feeling pretty cool, I'm happy to tell them about my double-shot and how I like to get straight to the point with my caffeine. Sometimes, I mention how a good shot of espresso should flow like melted honey into the cup.

Interestingly to me, the European tradition of drinking espresso came about in a culture that is more relaxed in general: France has a 35 hour work-week, and, in Greece, it is acceptable for a senior associate to arrive up to a half-hour late for a meeting. What is so stylish about quickly drinking a small amount of intense coffee? Why don't I see more Americans sipping from a demitasse? I see that it is rather eccentric to pay two dollars for a two-ounce coffee drink, but there's more to espresso than mere coffee.

The casual connoisseur knows that she has up to two minutes to finish an espresso before the swirling crema layer oxidizes and separates into the rest of the shot - becoming sallow, but drinkable. Similar to flowers, espresso's fleeting nature adds to its mystique: a mini-ritual when there's not time for sipping or securing a latte. Lattes aren't exactly computer-friendly, either.

When at a coffee shop for a long time, I sometimes buy a double-shot, asking the barista to pull* one for me right then and one before I leave. I'm starting to understand the espresso-lover. I enjoy the twinge of excitement that the small rush of caffeine arouses and the frivolity of drinking from such a small cup.

Espresso can take some getting used to. Most people choose not to drink it in its pure form because it's rather bitter (though complex) and because they think it has too much caffeine (Coffee Corner readers might beg to differ).

There are more than several variations on the espresso shot. A few: Adding one or two sugars to an espresso is not uncommon, even for a seasoned espresso lover. Shots can be pulled 'long' or 'short,' altering flavor to suit the individual. A macchiato is espresso topped with foam. One of my favorites is the con panna, which is espresso topped with whipped cream. The whipped cream forms a pleasantly cool barrier for sipping what should be a piping-hot, freshly pulled espresso shot. Legend has it that the original Sicilian con panna is prepared by pulling the espresso over the whipped cream and garnishing it with a slice of lemon peel. Espresso indeed affords the average American a way to individuate himself in the now commonplace coffee shop.

If there is a coffee drink that most lives in the moment, it is espresso.

*(meaning: to brew -- an inside joke between baristas who know that the shot is really pushed out by pressurized, hot water)