> (is it an American thing?)
I don't know if the author is American but americanos are not an American thing so they are likely not in the US.
Challenge: Find a coffee shop in the US that doesn't have Americano on the menu.
The 4 weeks of Vacation was the biggest thing to make me think not American.
Most cafes even chains like Starbucks sell americanos in the USA.
> americanos are not an American thing
Certainly every coffeeshop here in Seattle has them and and I expect most do elsewhere too.
Espresso has taken over coffeeshops such that some won't also have drip coffee anymore and if that's what you want, an Americano is approximately how to get it.