caffe shakerato

There are so many ways to order coffee in Rome. I think someone told me that there are over forty ways Romans ask for their coffee in a bar. Some like it in a cup, some in a glass. There are variations on cappuccino including very hot, not so hot, tepid, cold, extra foam, no foam. Then there’s the whole ‘add a bit of chocolate thing’ with variations of the marocchino, etc. I could go on and on…

But today’s coffee lesson is weather dependent. Seasonal if you will. You see summer’s finally struck here in Rome. We’ve been lucky up until now, with temps still hovering in the low 80’s for the most part, and cooling off at night. Most years we are sweltering by early June.

But summer has finally arrived, big time.


And once the real heat hits, the last thing I want is hot coffee. Don’t get me wrong. I still need my caffeine more than ever. But the hot part – and even the milk part – is just too much when the thermometer nears 100.

My go-to treat is of course a granita di cafe. But it is a treat, more of a dessert than a post meal pick me up.

Domenico comes home most days for lunch, and after we eat we walk Pico towards  Via dei Serpenti or Via Boschetto for a coffee. That would be an espresso. We alternate between The Pope’s Coffee and Er Baretto. Both make perfect espressos, served in pre-heated cups. Hot hot hot.

But they also serve the summertime alternative: caffe shakerato. Don’t you love it when English words are used to create completely new Italian words by adding on an ‘ino’ or ‘ato’? In this case you’ve probably already guessed what this drink is. It’s a caffe that’s been shaken. Shakerato. Literally.

I’m not sure when this drink started turning up in Italian bars. I suspect it migrated from Greece, where Nescafe is added to ice and water and then shaken to create a luscious and sweet version of ice coffee.

The Italian Shakerato is a much more minimal and intense affair. A freshly pulled espresso, poured in a cocktail shaker with a bit of sugar. Abundant ice, a thirty second hard shake. And then poured ever so elegantly into a stemmed glass.

Perfect.

But remember I said the temperature has climbed into oven territory? The other day we couldn’t even face the block long walk under the midday sun to go get a cold coffee. So I decided to make us each one at home. As per instructions I added just a bit of sugar, which would insure I got a nice foamy head. Then I pulled out the martini glasses about six hours ahead of cocktail time.

All very elegant. And very cool. And enough caffeine to get us both through the few hours left to a sultry Roman work day.




Caffe Shakerato

1 demitasse cup of  freshly brewed espresso*
1/2 to 1 tsp sugar
ice

It’s best to shake one cup at a time, so things don’t get too watered down.
Brew coffee and measure out one cup.
Add sugar, and stir to dissolve.
Pour into shaker and add LOTS of ice.
Close and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
Strain  into chilled, stemmed glass. I like a martini glass, but a flute works well too.


*use your favorite home method.