In an age where coffee culture reigns supreme, the world’s fascination with this beloved beverage continues to evolve at break-neck speed. From bustling city cafés to remote mountain villages, coffee serves as a universal language, uniting people across diverse backgrounds and lifestyles.

And while coffee enthusiasts eagerly explore new brewing methods, flavor profiles, and origins, the sheer breadth of choice available in today’s coffee houses can often seem a bit daunting. For instance, do you know the difference between a caffè latte and a “flat white”? Or an Americano and a “long black”?

In its latest rankings, popular online food and beverage guide TasteAtlas has compiled a useful, albeit somewhat subjective list of the “Top 38 Coffees in the World,” based on nearly 2,500 legitimate ratings. Glancing at the top ten, it may come as a surprise to see no fewer that three Greek coffee brews in the list, with two varieties edging out Italy’s iconic Cappuccino and Ristretto coffees.

So, which Greek coffees made the grade?

Sun, sea, and coffee

In third place, Espresso Freddo is described as “a simple Greek coffee that combines espresso and ice.” Ubiquitous in summertime, espresso freddo is nevertheless a staple throughout the year and available countrywide. According to TasteAtlas, this version of iced coffee, which became popular in the 1990s, “primarily blends the two ingredients until the coffee is slightly chilled, smooth, and creamy.” You can sweeten it according to taste.

Hot on its heels in fourth place is another chilled variety, Freddo Cappuccino, its milky sibling. A Greek summertime classic, freddo cappuccino is often made with a double shot of espresso, “which is first blended with ice, strained, and then poured over ice,” says TasteAtlas. Served in tall glasses, the drink is then “topped with well-chilled milk that is shaken or blended until it achieves a light, frothy consistency.” To drink it like a local, be sure to sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top.

Frappé, the iconic chilled coffee from the northern city of Thessaloniki, comes in a very respectable eighth place. Like the above freddo coffees, frappé is made by “combining instant coffee with water and ice,” according to the website, and “prepared in a shaker or a hand mixer.” Served in a tall glass, if it has been properly mixed, a “frothy foam should appear at the top.” A milky version exists, too, referred to as “frapógalo.”

Elsewhere in the Top 10 …

Clinching the Number 1 spot is Cuban Espresso, otherwise known as café Cubano, “popular and widely available throughout Latin America and Florida.” The website describes the coffee as “an espresso shot that is sweetened with demerara sugar while being brewed,” and typically served alongside a glass of water in the mid-afternoon.  

South Indian Coffee, a type of filter coffee, comes in second place. Described as “richly flavored” and “full-bodied,” this Indian coffee is “usually mixed with milk and sweetened with sugar,” according to TasteAtlas.

Rounding out the top ten, Italy’s iconic Cappuccino ranks in fifth place, followed by Turkish Coffee (Türk Kahvesi) in sixth, Ristretto – described as “half a single shot of espresso” – in seventh, Eiskaffee, a German-style iced coffee, in ninth place, followed by Vietnamese iced coffee in tenth.

Curiously, five of the top ten are iced or cold coffees, which may offend some purists, but are nevertheless hugely popular with coffee drinkers in warmer climes.