Caffè Corretto

Caffè corretto means “corrected coffee”: an espresso with a little spirit added. The classic choice is grappa, the Italian grape-pomace brandy, but sambuca (anise liqueur) and brandy are also popular, and you name your spirit when you order – corretto alla grappa, alla sambuca, al cognac.

It is not a cocktail but a bar-counter habit. The barista either adds a few drops – up to a small splash – of spirit straight into the cup, or serves a small glass alongside so you can add as much as you like. It tastes like espresso with a warming, aromatic finish – grappa adds a dry, fruity heat; sambuca a sweet aniseed note.

It is most at home in northern Italy, where it is often drunk after lunch or dinner. In the Veneto there is also a custom of rinsing the empty cup with the spirit and drinking that too.

Adding a drop of spirit to coffee is an old habit in many countries, and the caffè corretto is the Italian bar version of it. No inventor or date is recorded. The word corretto – “corrected” – has become a fixed Italian expression for coffee with a splash of liquor.

The drink is most associated with northern Italy, home of grappa, where it became part of everyday bar life, especially after meals. Through Italian colonial history it also became common in Eritrea, where it is made in Asmara with local areki or cognac. Similar drinks exist across Europe, from the Spanish carajillo to the Portuguese café com cheirinho and the Scandinavian kaffekask.