In the U.S. and several other countries, there are Starbucks shops everywhere, serving all kinds of fancy coffee beverages – iced vanilla lattes, Frappuccino’s, salted caramel mochas… In Australia, I have seen exactly one Starbucks, and it is usually only filled with tourists. Real coffee shops in Australia (and especially Melbourne) are very different from the U.S.’s versions.
For starters, coffee shops here are almost all independent shops, with no big chains being able to take over the coffee scene. One exception would be McDonald’s McCafe; most coffee drinkers don’t get their daily latte at a McCafe, though.
Another difference is that the sizes of coffees are much smaller, with an Australian large being about the size of an American small or medium. However, from what I have seen, everyone here gets the small size, which is usually only one shot of espresso and four ounces of milk or water (depending on the drink). And, unlike a lot of U.S. coffee chains, the coffee options are limited to lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, long blacks (aka Americanos) and flat whites. There are rarely any sweet syrups added to make something like a pumpkin spice latte or hazelnut mocha. The idea of simply brewed black coffee is not common whatsoever – coffee makers do not exist here!
People in Melbourne definitely take their coffee seriously. Half of the people you see walking around every day will be carrying a coffee, and a lot of people have “keeper cups” that are small, reusable cups for their drinks. I believe it’s almost a ritual for Melbournians to get their daily espresso, and it has to taste excellent too. There are long lines for the café’s with the “best coffee in Melbourne”, and I have heard people be quite picky about how they like their cappuccino made.
The coffee culture here is actually a little bit of a shock, as I did not realize how ingrained it is into the Melbourne society until I arrived. There are cafes and coffee trucks everywhere; if there is an event, there has to be some kind of coffee stand there.