A cortado is an espresso cut with a small amount of warm milk. The word cortado is the past participle of the Spanish verb cortar (to cut). In Spanish-speaking countries, a cortado is similar to the Italian caffè macchiato, where a small amount of warm milk is added to “cut” the espresso. In the United States, the ratio of milk to coffee is between 1:1 and 1:2, and the milk is added after the espresso.