Macchiato

A macchiato is espresso marked with a spoon of foam.

That is the whole drink. A shot, with a stain of milk on top. It is not a big flavored latte. It is a hot drink.

There is a controversy, and it is worth getting out of the way. The real macchiato is not the drink most people are looking for.

Starbucks bastardized it. An iced macchiato, or a caramel macchiato from Starbucks or any of the big chains, is a double latte. A latte here is two ounces of espresso. That drink is four. If the size calls for four ounces, you are looking at eight. That is a double latte. It is not a macchiato.