Cold Coffee in Italy

It’s cold coffee season. Maybe you were planning on being in Italy this summer to drink your iced espresso? But things just aren’t working out for that? Don’t be sad! You can still have your favorite icy cold coffee Italian style at home.

Most summers I’m in Rome and so it’s no problem running to the corner bar to grab a Shakerato. But this summer I’m up at our house in Umbria, (where I’ve been since February) and so it’s more likely that I’m having my coffee at home. And depending on my mood, I’ve been alternating between ALL of my favorite cold coffee drinks. (I drink a lot of coffee)

All of these drinks start out with home made espresso. Like any good Italian housewife I make mine in a Moka. This little pot was invented in 1933 and the best brand is still Bialetti. You can buy them in any size, from 2 cups to 20. I find the 6 cup size to be the most practical for every day coffee drinking purposes.

Coffee brands: Everyone has their favorite, I know. Mine happens to be Lavazza d’Oro. (Lavazza has several types, but I like the d’Oro, which is 100% arabica). I also use their decaf. Illy of course is another great brand, but I have to say I prefer Lavazza. But any finely ground coffee of your choice will do.

The trick to an Italian bar-quality cold coffee is (for most of these drinks) to start out with hot, freshly made espresso. I know it will be tempting to use cold leftover coffee. But really, does that ever taste good?

Shakerato – This is the drink. you may have seen people drinking in bars in Rome and wondered what it is? Usually served in a stemmed glass it’s simply freshly brewed espresso, shaken quickly in a shaker, with a bit of sugar. See this video or this blog post to see how it’s done.

Capuccino Freddo – Cold Cappucino as easy as it sounds. Take a shot of freshly brewed espresso, pour it into a glass. Add sugar if you’d like at this point. Then add about a half cup of really cold milk. Top with ice and enjoy.

Caffe Leccese – This drink is named after the gorgeous Baroque town of Lecce, in Puglia, and is enjoyed all over the southern part of that region, called Salento. It’s especially appropriate to drink this while standing in your bathing suit at the bar at the beach.  Pour one shot of freshly brewed espresso into a water glass. Add about a teaspoon of almond syrup (Fabbri and Monin are easy brands to find) . Stir and then add a lot of ice. Stir again to make it cold and enjoy. I usually add a splash of milk, but that’s not traditional.

Caffe Affogato – Is this a dessert? Or is it a coffee drink? Who cares when you are pairing gelato and espresso? There are a couple of schools of thought about how to make an affogato. You can either add a bit of gelato to a cup of espresso or else pour a cup of espresso over a healthy scoop of gelato. The traditional flavor is crema, which is a custardy vanilla. But there is one bar in Rome that has made its reputation on using zabaione.

Granita di Caffe – This is something I rarely make at home, but that’s only because it’s so easy to get here in Italy in the summer. The most famous place for this frozen treat is Tazza D’Oro in Rome where it’s served with heaping amounts of unsweetened whipped cream, as it should be. But it’s super easy to make at home. Brew 1 liter/2 cups of espresso. While still hot add 300 grams (about 1 1/2 cups ) of sugar and stir to dissolve. Let it cool off a bit then pour it into a container that will fit into your freezer ( I just use a tupperware) but is big enough to hold the coffee with at least 2 inches space above. Place it in the freezer and after one hour, take it out and stir it around, breaking up the ice crystals and scraping them from the side. Do this every half hour until you all the mixture is frozen into icy crystals. Serve in a glass bowl or cup, topped with whipped cream. If it freezes solid, just take it out of the freezer for 10 minutes, then break it up with a fork.

Caffe freddo – this is something that I’ve only just learned about, from Sophie, who is currently down in Puglia. Every time she would go to someone’s house, they would offer her a caffe freddo, or cold coffee. It was a slushy, sweet strong coffee that they would always pour out of a small water bottle. She says that all good housewives down in Salento always have this on hand in the summer. Pour leftover warm coffee into a small plastic water bottle. Add about a teaspoon of sugar per cup. Shake to dissolve sugar and then put in the freezer. When a guest comes over take it out of the freezer for about 10 minutes, then give it a good shake and pour out a cup.

For more about drinking coffee in Rome see my book Eating Rome.
And if you’d like to join me in Italy one day to drink coffee here, I hope you can come on one of our tours.