Over the past year, I’ve paid close attention to the trending coffee drinks spreading across social media, from the vibrant blueberry latte to a coastal creation dubbed the “fluffy seagull latte.”

I loved all of them, although the subtle sweetness of the coconut water Americano made it stand out from the rest. And now, as 2025 comes to a close, there’s another coffee beverage that’s appeared on my radar just in time to be considered for the best sip of the year.

In recent years, it has become clear that consumers love frothy textures, with Starbucks introducing shaken espressos and adding many cold foams to its menu, so you can even enjoy froth on cold drinks. Online coffee and tea trends have also supported this, with drinks like cloud matcha, cloud coffeeand the aforementioned fluffy seagull latte gaining popularity on TikTok and Instagram.

There’s a new foamy, airy drink circulating online, and unlike many other innovative coffee beverages, it doesn’t use flavored syrup or any other added ingredients. It’s time to meet the “aerocano.”

The aerocano’s name hints at how it’s made. This is an aerated version of an Americano, the classic coffee drink that combines just espresso and water. However, it’s injected with air to create a lighter, foamier beverage that settles into ombré layers of brown in a glass.

It’s easiest to think of an aerocano (sometimes spelled as aericano) as similar to a nitro cold brew. The latter is created by swiftly infusing cold brew coffee with nitrogen gas, and, like it, the aerocano is served cold with a velvety, almost creamy mouthfeel, without any dairy involved.

Unlike a nitro cold brew, the aerocano begins with pulling a shot of espresso. Unfortunately, you’ll need a specific piece of equipment to make this at home: a steam wand on an espresso machine.

If you don’t have an espresso machine with a steam wand, you might be able to ask for an aerocano at coffee shops, depending on whether they’re familiar with the trend. (You will need a steam wand specifically, because it’s able to quickly produce pressurized steam to aerate a liquid.)

To make the aerocano yourself, start by brewing a shot of espresso. Let the espresso cool slightly, then add ice and about one cup of water to a milk frothing pitcher or another heat-proof glass, like a Mason jar. Now comes the tricky part: Pour the espresso into the pitcher and steam the mixture to aerate it.

The goal here is to inject pressurized air into the liquid, creating small bubbles throughout without causing it to overheat. It’s fine if the ice cubes melt — they probably will — but you don’t want the entire pitcher to get very hot, like steaming milk for a latte. When the liquid appears foamy and light brown, and the ice cubes are no longer visible, it’s ready.

After foaming the aerocano, immediately pour it over ice in another glass. Just like with a nitro cold brew, you should see the liquid start to settle out into different shades of brown, with a dark black coffee color at the bottom and a lighter, more caramel-like hue at the top.

The air bubbles in this drink will also soften its flavor, so there’s no need to add milk or cream. Enjoy your aerocano as-is to appreciate the nuances of its texture and taste, and you’ll feel like a barista just poured a fresh nitro cold brew from a tap.