Espresso and drip coffee are both made from coffee beans and water, but they differ mainly in brew method, not in a special bean type. Espresso is made by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under high pressure (about 9 bars) in roughly 25–30 seconds, producing a small, concentrated shot with emulsified oils and a foam called crema. Drip coffee relies on gravity: hot water passes through medium-ground coffee in a filter over several minutes, yielding a larger, milder cup.
That pressure-driven extraction is why espresso is thicker and more intense per ounce; a typical mug of drip coffee is more dilute. Espresso has more caffeine per ounce, but a standard cup of drip coffee usually has more total caffeine because the serving is much larger. According to America’s Test Kitchen, you cannot turn drip coffee into true espresso just by brewing it stronger—without pressure there is no oil emulsion or crema.
Primary source: America’s Test Kitchen, “What’s The Difference Between Coffee and Espresso? Ask Paul” (April 27, 2022).