Shake it up, Baby!
What’s that, you say? Pronounced shehk-er-ato, the shakerato is Italy’s quintessential cold coffee drink served at bars and cafes around Italy perfectly timed to announce la primavera. Consummate coffee drinkers look no further than the shakerato as the warm-weather solution for an espresso fix.
What is a shakerato?
The shakerato is a warm weather drink that appears in bars at the first signs of Spring, or by the last week of April. It’s made with a fresh pot of espresso and sugar (or not if you prefer) that has been poured into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shaken violently until foamy. Ideally, a shakerato is served in a cocktail glass- martini, collins,high ball – without no ice.
I love the first shakerato of the season. It’s that moment when the city is noticeably heating up a few degrees- with life, fashion and conversations. My favorite spot are the martini glass shakerati of Caffe Ciampini, and the highball Sant’Eustachio Il Caffe.
Shakerato at Home
Fill your martini shaker ice. Add as much sugar as you like. Pour in espresso and shake. And shake. And shake. And then shake it some more. Arms hurt? Hands too cold? It’s time to pour your first shakerato . . .
