Canadian Coffee Shops Rename the 'Americano', Encouraging Others to Join in Rebellion

A Canadian coffee shop took to social media to reveal that they had been referring to Americanos as "Canadianos" for years, inviting other Canadian coffee shops to do the same in an act of defiance against the recent re-election of President Donald Trump.

Kicking Horse Cafe, based in British Columbia, posted about their secret renaming of the popular drink on Instagram earlier this month.

"For 16 years, the Kicking Horse Café has been quietly calling Americanos 'Canadianos.' Today, we're officially making it a thing and asking coffee shops across the country to make the switch. Join us. Call them Canadianos," read the caption.

Toronto's Le Petit Pain and Café Belem have since followed suit, renaming the classic coffee drink on their menus.

"It's good for us to just, you know, stand up for being ourselves and reminding other people ... that we're not to be pushed around and bullied by others," William Oliveira, Cafe Belém's owner, told the Washington Post.

Tensions between the US and Canada have escalated since newly-elected President Trump threatened to levy 25% tariffs on the world's largest trade agreement, causing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to implore Canadians to "to choose products made right here in Canada."

"The current trade war is very unfortunate because the current sitting president is unfavorable by the majority. America really has us tuning in for a reality show and checking on them almost every week," says Monica Leung, lab manager and senior barista at the Toronto-based cafe Milky's, to Barista Magazine.

"I find this push to change the name (of the Americano) interesting, and I actually had to look up why it's called an Americano," says Stacey Lynden, cupping lab manager at Canada's Swiss Water. "I was originally under the impression that it was named by the Italians to make fun of the Americans because they couldn't handle an espresso, and they needed the espresso to be watered down. But the Italians didn't necessarily create it just to make fun of Americans."

"The name 'Americano' does carry a bit of playful irony, essentially meaning 'American-style coffee,' which to Italians might have seemed like a weaker, less refined version of their beloved espresso," Stacey continues. "So, while it wasn't an outright joke, there was probably a little eye-rolling involved!"