Chef Graziella
Affogato al Caffè
Three ingredients, no cooking, pure theater. The espresso must be fresh, the gelato must be cold, and the moment of pouring must happen at the table where everyone can watch.
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Caffè Shakerato
Created by
The only iced coffee worth drinking in summer. Hot espresso, cold ice, violent shaking, and a foam that proves you did it right. This is what Italians drink when Americans are ordering frappuccinos.
Beverages
Italian
Weeknight
Quick Meal
5 min
Active Time
0 min cook•5 min total
Yield1 serving
Italians do not put ice cubes in their espresso and call it iced coffee. That would be barbaric. Instead, they shake hot espresso with ice in a cocktail shaker until the thermal shock and agitation produce something entirely different: a cold, foamy, elegant drink served in a martini glass.
The shakerato appeared in Italian bars sometime in the mid-twentieth century, when bartenders applied cocktail technique to their national obsession. It remains a bar drink. You order it standing at the counter in August, when the heat is unbearable and you need caffeine but cannot face a hot cup. The barista shakes it with theatrical vigor, strains it into a chilled glass, and slides it across the marble. You drink it in three or four sips. Then you pay and leave. This is the ritual.
The technique is everything. Hot espresso must hit cold ice. The shaking must be aggressive enough to emulsify the coffee oils and create stable foam. The straining must be complete. What lands in the glass should be pure liquid topped with a dense, creamy head the color of hazelnuts. If your foam disappears in thirty seconds, you did not shake hard enough. If there is no foam at all, your espresso was too old.
The shakerato emerged from Italian bar culture in the 1950s and 1960s, when bartenders began applying cocktail shaker technique to espresso. Unlike the American tradition of simply pouring coffee over ice, the shakerato transforms the drink through thermal shock and emulsification, creating something closer to a cocktail than a coffee. It remains firmly a bar drink in Italy, ordered at the counter and consumed standing.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
freshly brewed espresso
Quantity
2 shots (about 60ml)
hot
superfine sugar
Quantity
2 teaspoons
ice cubes
Quantity
1 cup
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| freshly brewed espressohot | 2 shots (about 60ml) |
| superfine sugar | 2 teaspoons |
| ice cubes | 1 cup |
Equipment Needed
- •Espresso machine or moka pot
- •Cocktail shaker with strainer
- •Chilled martini glass or coupe
Instructions
- 1
Chill the glass
Place a martini glass or coupe in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before you begin. The glass must be cold. A warm glass destroys the foam within seconds. If you forgot this step, fill the glass with ice water while you prepare the espresso, then discard it.
- 2
Brew the espresso
Pull two shots of espresso directly into a small pitcher or measuring cup. The espresso must be freshly brewed and hot. Stale espresso, reheated espresso, or espresso that has sat for more than 30 seconds will not produce proper foam. If you do not have an espresso machine, use a moka pot and brew it strong. American drip coffee will not work. Do not attempt this with drip coffee.
The crema on fresh espresso contains the oils and proteins that create the shakerato's characteristic foam. Old espresso has lost its crema and will produce a thin, disappointing drink. - 3
Add sugar to hot espresso
Stir the superfine sugar into the hot espresso until completely dissolved. This must happen while the espresso is still hot. Sugar does not dissolve properly in cold liquid, and you will end up with grit at the bottom of your glass. Adjust sweetness to taste, but know that Italians take their shakerato moderately sweet.
- 4
Shake vigorously
Fill a cocktail shaker with the ice cubes. Pour the sweetened hot espresso over the ice and seal the shaker immediately. Shake hard for 15 to 20 seconds. You should hear the ice crashing violently against the walls. The thermal shock of hot espresso hitting cold ice, combined with the agitation, creates the foam. Timid shaking produces a timid drink.
The shaker will become very cold and may frost over. This is correct. If your shaker is not painfully cold to hold, you have not shaken long enough. - 5
Strain and serve
Remove the chilled glass from the freezer. Strain the shakerato through the shaker's strainer into the glass, leaving all ice behind. The drink should have a thick layer of tawny foam on top, beneath which lies the dark coffee. Serve immediately. There is no waiting, no garnishing, no photographing for ten minutes. Once poured, drink it. The foam begins to collapse within two minutes.
Chef Tips
- •Superfine sugar dissolves faster than granulated. If you only have granulated sugar, dissolve it in a tiny amount of hot water first to make a quick syrup. Never add undissolved sugar to the shaker.
- •Some Italian bars add a splash of Amaretto or coffee liqueur. This is acceptable but not traditional. The classic shakerato contains only espresso, sugar, and ice. Master the classic before you experiment.
- •The quality of your espresso determines everything. Use freshly roasted beans, grind them just before brewing, and do not let the espresso sit. Thirty seconds of delay is thirty seconds too many.
Advance Preparation
- •Chill your serving glass in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before preparing.
- •This drink cannot be made ahead. It must be consumed within two minutes of straining. The foam collapses, the temperature rises, and what remains is simply cold coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 70g)
Calories
40 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
5 mg
Total Carbohydrates
9 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
8 g
Protein
0 g
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