Coffee Slang Terms

For every coffee lover, nothing beats a good morning than a cup of their favorite coffee. However, did you know that there are different coffee slang terms? Read on to know them and what they mean.

Growing up, I always looked forward to mornings, as it meant I could enjoy a cup of my favorite coffee. Soon after I was eligible to work, I was employed at the nearest coffee shop as a barista, serving hundreds of customers with different types of coffee. While at work, I realized that only a few customers referred to their coffee preference as the name that was on the menu and would use certain coffee slangs that I wasn’t aware of. Some of the coffee slang terms I often heard were go juice, spro’, rocket fuel, joe, cuppa, and dirt.

This posed a problem to my service, as it took me a minute to realize what a customer meant. I decided to research and learn all the coffee slang terms that exist. In this article, I will explain some of the common coffee slang terms, how they are used, and what they mean.

What are some slang words for coffee?

As mentioned above, there are many slang words for coffee. These are;

Bean Juice

Coffee Slang Terms — Bean Juice mug. Image source: Pinterest

This is a common slang word for coffee and is always used because coffee is made of coffee beans and water and therefore tastes like fruit juice. You can use this slang to describe the kind of coffee you want, for example, “I prefer my bean juice sweet.”

Cold Brew

Cold brew is another slang word that is often used around the world. This word is mostly used when someone is referring to a cold or iced coffee. You can use this slang in a sentence to explain why you like cold coffee during a certain time; “I love a cup of cold brew during summer.”

Dirty Bean Water

This is another slang word for coffee derived from how coffee was/is made. To make coffee, one must run clean water through the coffee beans to produce the finished product. The ‘dirty water’ is used to call the result, that is, coffee.

Fix

A fix means a certain amount of coffee or a dose of it. This slang is mostly used by coffee lovers, who enjoy having their coffee before starting their day. This word can be used as a sentence below; “I am headed out to have my fix before I proceed to work.”

‘Spro

Spro is a word slang for coffee used to refer to espresso. Spro is an abbreviation for the word espresso.

Go Juice

If you have worked as a barista like me before, you may have encountered this name during one of your busy days and probably went for the regular juice, thinking it was what was being ordered. ‘Go Juice’ is another slang word for coffee that is regularly used to describe how coffee makes one active for a long time due to caffeine. For example, “I love starting my busy day with a cup of go juice to pump me throughout the day.”

Java

what are some slangs for coffee, how to use them — Java, mug, coffee. Image source: Pinterest

During colonization, coffee was mostly grown in Asia, on an island known as Java. So, instead of referring to coffee, several people saw it fit to call it the name where it came from; Java.

High Octane

This is an interesting slang word for coffee and is usually used to refer to coffee with high caffeine levels. This slang is often linked to how coffee with high caffeine energizes your body.

Liquid Gold

The slang liquid gold is always used to refer to a quality coffee that high-graded coffee beans have made. An example used in a sentence; “Although I am a coffee lover, I am yet to taste liquid Gold.”

Morning jolt

This slang word is often used by people who love taking coffee every morning. The slang word is only used in the morning, unlike other slang words that can be used at any time of the day.

Quaker

Quaker is a slang word used to refer to bad coffee made as a result of defective or bad coffee beans. An example used in a sentence; “I was once served with Quaker and ended up throwing up.”

Rocket Fuel

Rocket fuel is another slang word for coffee that refers to the type of coffee with high caffeine content and high sugar.

Wakey Juice

Since the caffeine in coffee is known for keeping a person awake, the word ‘Wakey Juice’ refers to it as the kind of juice that leaves you awake.

Mocha

Mocha is a port city name used as a slang word for coffee. It is believed that the first coffee came from a certain port in Yemen, where it was manufactured. Mocha then became a big exporter of coffee to Europe for many centuries.

Cuppa

Cuppa is the shortened word for ‘cup of coffee .’So instead of requesting a cup of coffee, say a cuppa, and your barista will know what you mean.

Brain Juice

Just like the slang words wakey and go juice, ‘brain juice’ refers to how coffee keeps your brain alert as a result of the caffeine content in it.

Jamocha

Jamocha is a slang word for coffee that comes from two combinations, Java and Mocha. Java was a coffee type with lower acidity, while mocha had a sweeter taste and high acidity. When combined, these two types are referred to as ‘Jamocha.’

Dirt

A cup of coffee with too many coffee beans may be darker in color than regular coffee. This type of coffee is what is referred to as ‘Dirt.’

Joe

Joe, another slang word for coffee, has many theories behind it, and we will look at some of the three most famous theories linked to it. First, the word Joe is believed to have come from a person named ‘Josephus Joe Daniels. He is said to be the secretary of the Navy who made coffee drinks famous after banning alcohol from the US naval ships in 1914.

Another theory is that there was once a coffee roaster named ‘Martinson Joe,’ whose coffee was widely known in New York City during the 19^th Century. People then started referring to it as ‘Joe’ instead of coffee.

It is also believed that Joe is a slang word for ‘Jamocha,’ another name often used to refer to coffee.

Java Lava

Java Lava is another slang word for coffee that is used to refer to extremely hot coffee.

Mood Mover

This is also another slang word for coffee that basically describes the effect of the caffeine content in the coffee on your body; a ‘mood mover.’

Jitter Juice

This is also another slang word for coffee, which is usually linked to how coffee can give your caffeine jitters when consumed in high quantities within a short period of time.

Balanced

Balanced is a slang word for coffee that is mostly used when a person is describing g the exact kind of coffee they need. Since coffee can be made as sweet, bitter, or acidic, a balanced coffee has all of these elements that are well balanced to complement each other.

Leaded

Leaded is a slang word that is used to describe strongly caffeinated coffee.

Mud

Mud, similar to the slang word dirt, is used as a slang word used to refer to coffee that is terrible or stale. It can also be used to refer to coffee that was prepared using coffee beans that had not been properly ground.

Unleaded

Unleaded coffee is decaffeinated coffee, always used as the opposite of the slang word ‘lead.’

Body

This slang word is mostly used to describe the feel of the coffee in your mouth. Typically, this coffee usually has the perfect temperature, creaminess, and smoothness.

C8H10N4O2

This is a slang word that is rarely used. This is the chemical formula for caffeine, so several people find it cool to use it as a reference for coffee.

FAQ Section

Why is coffee called mud?

Coffee is usually called mud if it is made from thick coffee grounds or bad coffee beans. This may mean that the coffee needed to be properly brewed.

Why is coffee often called a cup of Joe?

Coffee is often called a cup of Joe as it is believed to have been named after a certain US navy secretary, ‘Josephus Joe Daniels,’ who banned the use of alcohol on the ship in 1914, making coffee the most common drink on the ship. People then decided to refer to coffee as Joe, as he had popularized it.