Caffè Shakerato or Iced Espresso
I discovered caffè or caffe shakerato in Italy, more precisely in Genoa and it has become one of my favorite summer drinks. The caffè shakerato is simply an iced espresso that is shaken or mixed to obtain an iced coffee with a nice and creamy foam on top. It is an ideal summer drink for coffee lover and is really quick and easy to make. Here is my recipe for Caffè Shakerato or Iced Espresso.
What is a Caffè Shakerato?
The caffè shakerato is, as explained in the introduction, a coffee, often an espresso, mixed with sugar and ice. It is then shaken to obtain a refreshing drink with a nice caramel-coloured foam on top.
The caffè shakerato can be drunk at any time of the day, even in the morning. It is best enjoyed on very hot days, especially in the summer, when you don’t feel like drinking an espresso or a classic hot coffee.
Looking for a fruitier drink? Try my Watermelon, Basil, Lime Cocktail!
Tips for a successful caffè shakerato
Making a caffè shakerato just requires 3 simple ingredients that you probably have at home : coffee, sugar and ice cubes. But to make sure you get a nice and caffè shakerato with a beautiful foam on top and not just a regular iced coffee, follow these instructions :
1. How to prepare your espresso
Ideally, the caffè shakerato should be prepared with a strong espresso coffee. I count two shots of espresso per serving of caffè shakerato. If you have an Italian espresso machine, this is ideal.
Alternatively, you can make your coffee in a traditional coffee maker or a moka pot but I don’t recommend to use instant coffee.
If you use a coffee maker or a moka pot, use more coffee than usual to obtain a well concentrated and strong coffee. Since the coffee will then be slightly diluted with ice cubes, it is important that your basic coffee is strong in taste. With this method count about 8 cl of coffee per serving.
2. Sweeten your coffee
Add the sugar to your hot espresso or coffee. Mix well. Preferably choose cane sugar otherwise white sugar or a simple sugar syrup will work just as well.
I count a good teaspoon per serving: that is to say for a double espresso or 8 cl of filtered coffee.
The result will certainly be sweeter than what you are used to drinking. This is normal because when mixed with ice cubes, the coffee will lose its sugar intensity.
3. Chill your glasses
You can serve this caffè shakerato in almost any glasses. I recommend these nice martini glasses but can also use champagne flutes or any cocktail glass.
It is important to chill your glasses first to allow this caffè shakerato to stay cold longer. To do this, place an ice cube in your glass and swirl it around the sides of the glass so that it becomes chilled. Remove the ice cubes and the melted water.
4. Shake, shake, shake
Finally, the last step is much more important than it seems: shake it all together. Allow about 60-80g of ice cubes per serving. It is important to select large ice cubes and not small pieces of ice.
Add your ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and pour the sweetened coffee. Close the shaker well with a tight-fitting lid and then shake for about 2 minutes. The more vigorously you mix, the more you will get a nice and creamy foam. Stop a little before all the ice cubes have melted completely.
Be careful, do not use a blender otherwise the ice cubes will break and the mixture will be too liquid.
Pour the mixture into a your chilled glass and add a few coffee beans as decoration.
Recipe for Caffè Shakerato or Iced Espresso
For two servings you need the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 espresso or 16 cl coffee
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 120-160 g ice cubes
Preparation
Stir the still hot espresso or coffee with the sugar until the sugar is well diluted.
Chill your glasses by swirling an ice cube around the sides of the glass. Remove the ice cube and the melted water.
Place the remaining ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Pour the sweetened coffee on top. Shake vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. The ice cubes should not be completely melted.
Pour into a pretty glass, add a few coffee beans for decoration and enjoy immediately.
Note
If you prefer coffee with milk, you can add a dash of milk before shaking the coffee.
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Caffè Shakerato or Iced Espresso
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Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 4 espresso or 16 cl coffee
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 120-160 g ice cubes
Instructions
- Stir the still hot espresso or coffee with the sugar until the sugar is well diluted.
- Chill your glasses by swirling an ice cube around the sides of the glass. Remove the ice cube and the melted water.
- Place the remaining ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Pour the sweetened coffee on top. Shake vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. The ice cubes should not be completely melted.
- Pour into a pretty glass, add a few coffee beans for decoration and enjoy immediately.
