Caffè Corretto

A caffè corretto is the simplest coffee cocktail of all: an espresso “corrected” with a small amount of spirit, most often grappa, sometimes sambuca or brandy. VinePair describes it as a few drops of liquor added to the shot; some bars serve the spirit on the side. Punch says coffee mixed with alcohol under the name caffè corretto entered the Italian mainstream in the second quarter of the 20th century, and that how you drink it depended on where you lived. Here’s how to make one and where the “correction” may come from.

The short version

• An espresso plus a splash of spirit.
• Grappa in the north; sambuca and other anise spirits further south.
• Morning or after lunch, depending on the region.
• Corretto means “corrected”.
• Simple: no shaking, no ice, no cream.

What’s in a caffè corretto?

An espresso and a small amount of spirit. The spirit changes with the region, Punch and Wanted in Rome explain:

Region	Spirit	When
Northern Italy	Grappa, brandy or aquavit	In the morning, by farmers and workers, to warm up
Central and south-central Italy	Anise-flavoured spirits, such as sambuca	After meals, as a digestif
Benevento	Saffron-tinted Strega	After meals

Wanted in Rome adds that the liqueur bottles you see behind an Italian café counter are there for exactly this.

How do you make one?

1. Brew a single espresso into a small cup.
2. Add a few drops, up to a small splash, of grappa, sambuca or brandy. Or serve the spirit alongside, as some bars do, so the drinker can add their own.
3. Drink it hot.

Why is it called “corrected” coffee?

Nobody knows for certain. Historian Diana Garvin offered Punch a guess linked to the Fascist era. Espresso entered everyday Italian life in the 1930s, when the horizontal espresso machine was patented and the regime promoted espresso among labourers. Then tariffs and sanctions made coffee an elite drink again, so people made substitutes from barley and chicory. “One thing that makes these bitter beverages taste better is adding alcohol,” she said; “my guess is that the phrase ‘correction’ refers to this masking of bad flavor.”

Is it still drunk in Italy?

Less than before. “Caffè corretto used to be the go-to drink after meals,” Cristian Bezzecchi, owner of Bar Roma in Novellara, Emilia-Romagna, told Punch: people would eat lunch at home, then meet friends at the café for one before going back to work. Punch says its popularity has waned, though it has found new fans in some American restaurants, which serve espresso with grappa on the side or let diners choose the spirit.

Caffè corretto vs other coffee cocktails

• Carajillo: Spain’s espresso with brandy, rum or Licor 43.
• Espresso martini: vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur, shaken.
• Irish coffee: hot coffee and Irish whiskey under cream.
• Espresso macchiato: the same shot, marked with milk instead.

Explore every drink in the coffee cocktails chapter.