Caffè Shakerato
Caffè shakerato Say kahf-FEH shay-keh-RAH-toh
A hot espresso (often a double) shaken with ice and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker, then strained into a martini or stemmed glass. Shaking chills it fast and whips the crema into a creamy foam – no milk needed.
- ServedIced
- In EnglishShaken coffee
- TastesBold, Smooth, Sweet
About Caffè Shakerato
Caffè shakerato – “shaken coffee”, from the English word “shake” – is how Italian bars serve espresso cold. Freshly brewed espresso, often a double, is poured straight onto ice in a cocktail shaker with a little sugar syrup, shaken hard, and strained into a chilled glass, traditionally a martini glass.
Shaking does two things: it chills the coffee in seconds, and it whips the espresso’s oils and crema into a thick, pale, velvety foam on top. The result tastes like a strong, lightly sweet espresso, but cold and silky. There’s no milk; the creaminess comes entirely from the foam.
It is a summer staple across Italy, offered in most bars when the weather turns hot, and has become a popular speciality-café and cocktail-bar drink abroad. Ask for it amaro if you want it without sugar – but the sugar helps the foam.
In the cup
- Shaken foam 40%
- Chilled sweetened espresso 60%
Ingredients
- Freshly brewed espresso (or ristretto)1–2 shots (≈ 30–60 ml)
- Sugar syrup (1:1)1–2 tsp (≈ 5–15 ml), to taste
- Ice cubesa shaker full (large cubes)
How to make it
You needEspresso machine or moka pot, cocktail shaker, strainer, chilled martini or stemmed glass
Ratio1–2 espressos (≈ 30–60 ml) with ≈ 1–2 tsp sugar syrup and a shaker full of ice
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Chill the glass in the freezer or with ice water.
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Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes.
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Brew one or two espressos and pour them, still hot, straight onto the ice with the sugar syrup.
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Close the shaker and shake hard for about 15–30 seconds, until very cold and frothy.
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Strain slowly into the chilled glass so a thick foam forms on top, and serve at once.
Origin & history
The caffè shakerato is Italian, but there is no reliable record of who first made it or when. Its name uses the English word “shake” with an Italian ending, and it most likely began in Italian bars – which serve both coffee and cocktails – when a barman put a hot espresso into a cocktail shaker with ice to make a cold coffee for summer.
It has long been a summer standard in Italian bars. Internationally, it gained popularity from the 1990s onwards as espresso culture spread, and in recent years the idea of shaken espresso has been taken up by speciality cafés and big coffee chains.
Variations
- Shakerato correttoshaken with a splash of liqueur such as Baileys, Sambuca or amaretto (Italy / worldwide)
- Shakerato amarounsweetened (Italy)
- Shakerato with milkshaken with a little cold milk (speciality cafés)
- Iced shaken espressoa long chain-café version served over ice with milk (USA / worldwide)
Good to know
Pour the hot espresso over the ice and shake immediately – that's what builds the foam.
Shake hard for about 15–30 seconds with plenty of large ice cubes, which dilute it less.
Sugar helps the foam set; without it, the shakerato will be flatter.
Pour slowly so the foam settles in a thick layer on top.
For an evening version, ask for a “shakerato corretto” with a splash of liqueur.
