Caffè
Caffè Shakerato
The short answer
Caffè shakerato is hot espresso shaken hard with ice and a little sugar, then strained into a chilled coupe so it arrives foamy and undiluted.
- Style
- Iced, foamy, no dilution
- Glass
- Chilled coupe
- Strength
- 0% ABV
Where it comes from
An Italian bar answer to summer: the coffee is chilled by the shake, not by ice sitting in the glass. Ordering iced coffee any other way in Italy still gets you a strange look.
What you need
- 2 hot espressos (about 60 ml)
- ½ tsp sugar, or to taste
- A full shaker of ice
How Larry builds it
- 01
Sugar into the hot coffee. It has to dissolve before the ice hits, or it never will.
- 02
Shake 20 seconds. Hard. The foam is the whole reason this drink exists.
- 03
Strain. Into a chilled coupe, no ice in the glass.
Larry’s rule: The only correct iced coffee in Italy. The foam is the whole point.
Variations worth making
Shakerato al cioccolato
A teaspoon of cocoa in the shaker.
Corretto shakerato
Half an ounce of sambuca in with the espresso.
Questions people ask
Why shake espresso instead of pouring it over ice?
Ice in the glass melts and waters the coffee down. Shaking chills it fast and whips the crema into foam.
Can I use cold brew?
You can drink it, but it will not foam. The crema in fresh espresso is what builds the head.
More from Caffè
← All 67 Italian drinksQuoting or citing this drink? Credit “Uncle Larry Adventures” and link to https://unclelarryadventures.com/beverages/caffe-shakerato.