Caffè corretto (), an Italian caffeinated alcoholic drink, consists of a shot of

espresso Espresso (, ) is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (about ) is forced under of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and ...

with a small amount of

liquor Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard ...

, usually

grappa Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 US proof). Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the poma ...

, and sometimes

sambuca Sambuca () is an Italian anise-flavoured, usually colourless, liqueur. Its most common variety is often referred to as ''white sambuca'' to differentiate it from other varieties that are deep blue (''black sambuca'') or bright red (''red sambuc ...

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

. It is also known (outside Italy) as an "espresso corretto". It is ordered as "un caffè corretto alla

", "... alla

", "... al cognac", or "corretto di Spadino", depending on the desired liquor. Most Italian bartenders prepare a caffè corretto simply adding a few drops of the desired liquor into an espresso shot; however in some cases the liquor is served in a shot alongside the coffee allowing the customer to pour the quantity they desire. A few bartenders also let their regular customers make their drink themselves providing the espresso shot and the bottle of liquor. The Italian word corresponds to the English word 'correct' in the sense of 'corrected'. The term is now an Italian

phraseme A phraseme, also called a set phrase, idiomatic phrase, multi-word expression (in computational linguistics), or idiom, is a multi-word or multi-morphemic utterance whose components include at least one that is selectionally constrained or restric ...

. Caffè corretto can also be found widely in

Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...

, a legacy of the Italian colonization of Eritrea. Asmarino bartenders pour locally produced ''areki'' and ''cognac''. In Spain, a similar drink is known as

carajillo A ''carajillo'' () is a hot coffee drink to which a hard liquor is added. It is typical of Spain and several Latin American countries, such as Colombia, where it is usually made with brandy, Cuba, where it is usually made with rum, and some areas ...

; in Portugal it is known as

café com cheirinho A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

(coffee with scent); in France café-calva (coffee and Calvados); and in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark as

kaffekask Karsk (also called Kask) is a Swedish and Norwegian cocktail (from the Trøndelag region) containing coffee together with moonshine and sometimes a spoon of sugar (enthusiasts often consider moonshine exclusively to be appropriate as an added ...

karsk Karsk (also called Kask) is a Swedish and Norwegian cocktail (from the Trøndelag region) containing coffee together with moonshine and sometimes a spoon of sugar (enthusiasts often consider moonshine exclusively to be appropriate as an added ...

, or kaffegök.

Variants

Rexentìn

The "''Rexentin"'' (or "''Raxentin"'', as it is known in some places) is a tradition of the Italian region of

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

. "''Rexentin"'' means "to rinse": after drinking the caffè corretto a small quantity of coffee remains in the cup, which is cleaned using the liquor used for the beverage, that will then be drunk.

References

Italian drinks Alcoholic coffee drinks Coffee in Italy {{italy-cuisine-stub it:Caffè espresso#Caffè corretto

Variants

Rexentìn

See also

References