Its memory is associated with summer evenings, hot July afternoons, holidays with friends: we are talking about caffè shakerato, Italian style iced coffee, one of the freshest and most popular coffee drinks in our country.
It came back to you while you were looking at photos from last summer, or opening the freezer and noticing the ice cubes that had not been used for a long time. And the desire to savor an espresso in its most refreshing version has overwhelmed you.
Shakerato iced coffee is a drink that is prepared with a few simple ingredients, but with a truly delicious result. Just mix the espresso coffee with sugar syrup and ice, to have a snack capable of conquering everyone.
There are many variations of shakerato coffee, the best known and preferred on summer evenings is the one with Baileys. However, for an alcoholic version, you can also use the Martini or some other sweet liqueur.
But other versions can be drunk during the afternoon, like the one with milk. To indulge yourself with the taste, you can also decorate the glass with a chocolate topping or with bitter cocoa.
And not only.
During hot weather, even a slice of orange or lemon can make the shakerato coffee taste even more flavored.
In short, this coffee-based drink can satisfy everyone.
But how do you prepare caffè shakerato? What are the ingredients to make this drink so delicious? And, above all, can it also be done at home?
Keep reading our article and you will find out which are the tastiest recipes for caffè shakerato. Besides, we will also show you how to make your home version, with or without a shaker.
So you can amaze your guests or treat yourself to a moment of relaxation based on iced coffee, obviously with coffee prepared with your Pontevecchio lever machine.
What is a caffè shakerato?
Caffè shakerato is an iced coffee-based drink. Its key ingredients are espresso, sugar syrup, and ice cubes.
As the name suggests, shakerato coffee is prepared by shaking one or two cups of espresso at room temperature, with ice and sugar. You can also add vanilla liqueur or Baileys Irish Cream to the mixture, to give a more intense taste and make the drink more creamy.
Generally, therefore, the container is shaken repeatedly so that the drink is foamy once poured.
It is a fresh and pleasant drink that can be consumed at any time of the day.
In Italy, it is one of the most popular alternatives to coffee during the summer and can be ordered in bars, cafes, hotels, or any restaurant or bed and breakfast.
One of the peculiarities of shakerato coffee is in the service: it is generally presented to customers in martini glasses and champagne flutes, or in any case in long-stemmed glasses to enhance the taste.
You can also sprinkle the sides of the glass with icing sugar or cocoa powder.
In the finest places, before pouring the drink, the barman lines the glass with the chocolate syrup. While another delicious alternative is to replace ice with vanilla ice cream.
To garnish the drink and make the service even more special, in some bars it is possible to find some coffee beans in the caffè shakerato.
Those who love proper coffee can also order shakerato coffee with rum, sambuca, or a few drops of amaretto.
While to give the drink a fruity taste, a good tip is to add lemon or orange zest to the shaker.
How they make it in bars
If you are a true lover of caffè shakerato and would like to prepare it at home too, to make a good impression with your guests or to give yourself a moment of pleasure, know that it is easier than you think.
First of all, we need to start from the recipe of the Italian shakerato coffee they use in bars:
- one or two espresso;
- 4 teaspoons of sugar syrup;
- 6 ice cubes.
Starting from these ingredients, you can prepare a caffè shakerato like at the bar, just pay close attention to each step.
First of all, remember that the secret that makes caffè shakerato in the bar unique is only one: the espresso that is obtained with the professional coffee machine!
The traditional Moka coffee gives a different result and it is a good thing that you know it first.
As for the procedure, here are all the steps:
- Put the crushed ice in the shaker;
- add the coffee and liquid sugar;
- shake for a long time until it forms a foam;
- pour into glasses and enjoy!
If you don’t have a shaker at home, don’t worry: you can also make Italian iced coffee without a shaker. Let’s see how:
- Break up the ice with your hands or a pestle;
- put the crushed ice in the blender along with the sugar syrup and coffee;
- blend a few seconds.
If you prefer, you can also use an electric mixer. Also in this way, you will obtain the typical cream of shakerato coffee.
An extra tip to keep the drink frothy is to put the glasses in the refrigerator before serving so that they reach a very low temperature.
You probably don’t have sugar syrup at home. The alternative is to sweeten the freshly brewed coffee so that the sweetener melts well.
The legendary shakerato coffee with Baileys
One of the best versions of all for those who like alcoholic drinks is the shakerato coffee and Baileys mix.
Baileys is a liqueur of Irish origin, made with whiskey and cream. It has a full-bodied texture and tastes of toffee, almond, and hazelnut. With coffee, its taste is enhanced and is appreciated as an alternative to shakerato coffee in its simplest version.
The caffè shakerato with Baileys is a drink that is often consumed in summer resorts because it gives you the energy to spend a fun evening to which is added a good dose of joy.
You don’t need to be a bartender to prepare it. If you want to make shakerato coffee with Baileys at home you will need:
- 40/50 ml of espresso coffee (about 2 cups);
- 25 ml of Baileys Irish Cream;
- 4 ice cubes;
- 3 teaspoons of brown sugar;
- bitter cocoa.
First, you need to prepare 2 cups of espresso with the Pontevecchio manual coffee machine. The ideal for a good shakerato coffee with Baileys is a strong coffee so that the drink is not too liquid but has an intense taste.
Put the ice and sugar in the shaker first and finally the coffee. Shake firmly two or three times, until you reach the desired consistency and the typical cream is formed. Pour into the chilled glass and, in the end, add the whiskey cream.
If you prefer Baileys to mix with coffee, add two tablespoons of liqueur to the shaker along with the other ingredients and shake everything together. Filter the ice with the colander of the shaker.
To give a more delicious touch to the drink, you can sprinkle everything with bitter cocoa, or add two coffee beans to the cold flute.
This version will truly amaze you and your guests.
You can also prepare it with the Bimby Thermomix
The Thermomix is an appliance that allows you to do everything and, as an alternative to the shaker, it is perfect for preparing caffè shakerato in just a few steps.
Thanks to this appliance it only takes 5 minutes and you don’t have to make any effort. The only precaution is to use the coffee that has already been cooled so that the result will be as you wish.
The ingredients for two people are:
- 10 ice cubes;
- 4 teaspoons of brown sugar;
- 2 cups of cold coffee.
The procedure is very simple, just insert all the ingredients in the Thermomix, press start and let it work for 5 minutes.
The drink obtained will be very similar to that of the bar, tasty and light. It can be flavored with whiskey cream or with a sweet liqueur, such as Sambuca.
For a non-alcoholic version but with a more particular aroma, you can add lemon or orange, or a few mint leaves.
The latter variation is ideal to be enjoyed on summer afternoons, accompanied by biscuits, or with vanilla ice cream.
Furthermore, caffè shakerato can be an ideal alternative to replace hot coffee in the hottest months.
You can also try the shakerato coffee with milk
If you are craving a creamy, non-alcoholic caffè shakerato, this is the perfect recipe for you. It is a perfectly tasty version, to replace the classic coffee after meals.
It is an ideal drink to face sunny summer afternoons with the right amount of sweetness.
To get the cream in the caffè shakerato, you can use milk and to make it even more delicious you can add the hazelnut cream or the chocolate topping.
Let’s see the ingredients for two people:
- 50 ml of espresso (about 2 cups);
- 60 ml of cold whole milk;
- 1 or 2 ice cubes (10 g);
- 2 teaspoons of hazelnut spread or chocolate topping;
- unsweetened cocoa powder;
- Brown sugar.
For a good caffè shakerato with milk, first, you need to prepare the espresso and let it cool.
While waiting for the coffee to cool, take two small glasses and sprinkle the hazelnut cream on the bottom and sides.
Then sprinkle the glasses with bitter cocoa.
Pour the coffee into the shaker along with the ice and milk and close the container. Start shaking vigorously.
Once you have a frothy drink, pour into glasses and sprinkle with cocoa or add a little frothed milk.
If you don’t have a shaker and you don’t know how to froth the milk, you can take a glass jar (such as jam or tomato sauce) and use it to shake.
This drink is really tasty and you can make it in many different ways. In fact, shakerato coffee with milk has a cream that goes very well with pistachio cream, white chocolate, or coffee topping. Just let your imagination run wild.
Summary
Shakerato coffee is a very tasty and fresh drink made with coffee, ice, and sugar syrup. In Italy, it is very common and it is possible to order it in bars, pubs, hotels, and cafes.
There are many tasty variations of caffè shakerato, in which other ingredients are added to the basic recipe. One of the most popular is the coffee shaken with Baileys, the whiskey cream of Irish origin that gives it a very pleasant alcoholic touch.
If you love shakerato coffee, now you know all the recipes to make it at home too, with or without a shaker, thanks to the Thermomix or with kitchen whips.
Remember that the secret to getting it as good as that of the bar is only one: preparing the espresso with the professional coffee machine.
Discover the lever machines of Pontevecchio so you can drink a perfect coffee every day and prepare a shakerato coffee with a unique taste.
