Canada Wanted the U.S. to Get a Taste of Its Own Medicine, So It Targeted Coffee: Don’t Say ‘Americano,’ Say ‘Canadiano’

With tensions between countries, everything is politics—even coffee. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House for a second term is proving to be a tsunami. He’s upended the chip industry, imposed tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, dismantled the electric car industry, targeted renewable energy industries, and plans to get tougher on China.

These actions, among others, have fueled a movement to boycott American products, and it runs so deep that even coffee is part of it—not a brand, but a brew. Canada wants to steal Americano. And Mexico wants to do the same.

Americano isn’t American. The history of Americano coffee is a curious one. It’s a popular preparation in movies, on television, and in coffee shops worldwide. It’s a watered-down coffee—there’s an “art” to knowing the proportions—and because of its name, many believe it to be an American invention. But no, it turns out to be European. Italian, to be precise.

In the U.S., filling a cup to the brim with black coffee is customary. Filter coffee is deeply rooted here, but in Europe during World War II, coffee was consumed differently. During the Italian campaign, American soldiers looking for coffee to enjoy or to stay awake couldn’t stand Italian espresso—the extra roasted beans didn’t help either—so baristas prepared a combination to suit their palates: an espresso with hot water to dilute it.

Coffee tension. This combination became known as “Americano.” In the end, Americans’ role in its creation was simply that the most intense coffee wasn’t to their taste. But it remains a well-established form of preparation. Since everything is politics, however, Americano is no longer so well regarded in Canada.

Recently, due to political tensions between the two countries, some coffee shops have started renaming the drink from Americano to Canadiano. The brewing process remains the same, and since Canadians also fought alongside American soldiers in Italy, they feel they have an equal right to claim the name.

Marketing or rebellion? But it’s not so much about cultural appropriation, which is what some call it, as it is about protest. Against what? Against Trump’s tariffs—tariffs that Canada is answering with its own. Kicking Horse Coffee, a Canadian coffee company, first launched this movement. It has since caught on in coffee industry media and even reached CBC News.

Some see it as a way to reaffirm Canadian identity, while critics believe it’s an orchestrated marketing strategy to sell more coffee to patriotic consumers. Kicking Horse Coffee has called the brew Canadiano for 16 years. Now, as the company states on social media platforms, it’s making the name official and encouraging other Canadian coffee shops to follow suit. Some already have.

Mexico considers joining the movement. One way or another, the idea has reached Mexico, a country that has seen its Gulf of Mexico renamed the Gulf of America—not in reference to the continent but to the U.S.’s claim to the name America. In Mexico, some are exploring renaming Americano coffee as Mexican coffee or simply calling it “café de olla.”

Of course, Mexico already has café de olla, a traditional preparation. It consists of brewing coffee in an earthenware pot, like an infusion. It’s more common in rural areas than in big cities. But the issue here isn’t just the name—it’s politics.

Boycott. Time will tell whether the campaign to replace Americano with Canadiano—allowing each country to call it whatever it wants—will succeed. What’s clear is that Trump’s return has sparked global movements.

In Europe and Canada, calls are growing to boycott American products, swap out American software and hardware for European alternatives, and even respond violently to U.S. brands like Tesla. Compared to car burnings, the Canadiano movement seems like a joke.

Image | Mike Kenneally (Unsplash)

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