A caffè shakerato is one of the quickest ways to make a seriously good iced coffee at home. Shaken until frothy and ice-cold, the smooth, bold taste of this Italian iced coffee is definitely worth lingering over. Ready in just 5 minutes.
Prefer a boozy coffee hit? Take a look at my recipes for Baileys espresso martini, espresso rum martini and gin espresso martini.
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Why Caffè Shakerato Is Worth Making
- Quick & easy: Ready in 5 minutes and only
- Versatile: Vary the sweetener to introduce additional flavours
- Naturally dairy-free: Coffee shakerato contains no milk or cream, making it suitable for vegetarian, vegan and dairy-free diets.
This Italian iced coffee is a fantastic alternative to the typically creamier and sweeter iced coffee drinks around such as caramel iced latte or coconut iced coffee.
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What Is A Shakerato?
The caffè shakerato is simply a freshly pulled espresso shaken over ice. A dash of sweetener is included to help build viscosity and enable both a velvety texture and a brilliantly bitter-sweet flavour profile to emerge. It's usually served in a coupe glass so the lovely foam can be admired.
Other names for this drink include cafè shakerato, Italian iced coffee, Italian iced espresso.
Appearances can be deceptive. The classic shakerato looks just like a cocktail but it is alcohol-free. It does, however, make a fantastic mocktail - think of it as a non-alcoholic espresso martini.
Ingredients Notes
Coffee: Brewing your espresso using freshly ground coffee beans is ideal. Use your favourite bean. This is definitely an iced coffee recipe that benefits from using the best quality your budget allows as the espresso is the star of the show.
Sweetener: I made Demerara sugar syrup from Demerara sugar and water. It blends easily into the drink and imparts a unique toffee-like flavour that partners wonderfully with the natural bitterness of coffee. You can, however, use simple syrup if desired.
How To Make Caffè Shakerato (Step-By-Step instructions)
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Demerara syrup: If you would like to make your own, simply add 100g demerara sugar and 100ml water to a small pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, bring up to a simmer, then let cool.
- Step 1: Brew your espresso coffee using a coffee machine (or moka pot) then pour it into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice.
- Step 2: Add the syrup to the coffee.
- Step 3: Secure the lid of the cocktail shaker and shake hard for 45 seconds to ensure the drink is both nicely diluted and wonderfully chilled.
- Step 4: Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a few coffee beans if desired.
Expert Tips
This caffè shakerato recipe could not be simpler to make. I do, however, have a few tips to share to help you make the best iced espresso possible:
- Pop your serving glass into the freezer (or even the fridge) for a few minutes before making this drink. Pouring the iced coffee into a frozen glass means that the drink will be served deliciously ice-cold rather than just cold.
- Vary the strength of your coffee: make it stronger or weaker suit your own personal preferences.
- Adjust the sweetness: Similarly, you can increase the level of syrup if you find the recipe, as specified, below too bitter for your tastes.
Serving Suggestions & Variations
- Caffè shakerato is best served straight away: This is when the texture, foam and chill-factor are all at their prime. Linger over it as you would a cocktail - it's that delicious.
- Serve it as a non-alcoholic espresso martini: It is well received by coffee-lovers at parties when they are not drinking alcohol.
- Food pairings: Coffee shakerato is a great match to cofee and chocolate based treats such as chocolate salami, coffee cookies, espresso brownies or pistachio tiramisu.
- Vary the syrup to introduce new flavour dimensions: Try a simple sugar cane syrup or splash out on flavoured syrups such as chai spice syrup, vanilla bean syrup, caramel syrup or gingerbread syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not. Although it sounds as if it should be the same, iced espresso or iced shaken espresso drinks typically contain milk, whereas the shakerato coffee does not.
No. In fact, Italians brew their espresso and shake it straight away. Just ensure that you use plenty of ice (at least 2 handfuls) to achieve a suitably chilled drink.
Yes! Baileys, Amaretto or vodka would be my top choices. Play around and let me know what you enjoy best.
Do add the alcohol after the drink has been shaken though. Otherwise, that gorgeous foamy top may have an inferior texture.
And, by the way, a boozy shakerato is known in Italy as a caffè corretto. Translated this means coffee corrected - corrected to contain alcohol. I feel like applauding.
Technically, yes, this drink can be made with instant coffee granules. But be warned, when I tested out a shakerato using standard (not cheap, not expensive) instant coffee, I found the drink noticeably inferior to the version made using a similar price point ground coffee. And believe me, I'm no coffee connoisseur. Here's what I discovered:
1. Though a great looking foam was created, it quickly dissipated, leaving behind an unappealing bubbly top.
2. And whilst the espresso shakerato has a velvety texture, the instant coffee version felt just like ice-cold coffee.
3. As for the balance of bitter coffee and sweet syrup that makes this drink so great to sip and savour - forget it. This version tasted just like slightly sweet cold coffee. It was nothing special.
If you truly trust your instant coffee, by all means, give it a go - you may fair better I did. I, however, will be making all my caffè shakeratos using ground coffee from now on.
Whilst there is nothing to stop you from doing so, the beauty of the this Italian iced espresso is in its simplicity. Save the cream for more frivolous coffee creations such as an iced vanilla latte or an iced Biscoff latte.
Hot Coffee Drinks To Enjoy
Once you have had your fill of this lovely ice-cold non-alcoholic espresso martini style drink, try the following warm coffee drinks:
Have you made this recipe for Italian iced coffee? Please let me know if you enjoyed it by leaving a review.
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📖 Recipe
Caffè shakerato (Italian Iced espresso - frothy and smooth)
Ingredients
For the Shakerato
- 18g g Ground coffee
- 15 ml Demerara syrup or simple syrup
- Plenty of ice
Instructions
- Use a coffee machine to brew the espresso using the coffee grounds. Aim for approx 60-70ml of espresso.
- Put several handfuls of ice into a cocktail shaker then pour the espresso into it.
- Add the demerara syrup, secure the lid and shake for at least 45 seconds to ensure a good chill.
- Strain into a glass, garnish with coffee beans (optional) and serve immediately.
Notes
- Chill the serving glass in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before making this drink to ensure the drink is served as cold as it can be.
- Don't forget that you can vary the strength of your coffee - up or down - to suit your own personal preferences.
- Similarly, you can up the level of syrup if you find the recipe as specified below too bitter for your tastes.
- And you can swap the syrup to vary the flavour - go for simple sugar cane syrup or a flavoured syrup such as hazelnut or gingerbread.
- Don't skimp on the ice or the shaking, else you'll wind up with cold coffee rather than ice-cold coffee. I recommend 45 seconds of vigorous shaking.
- If you intend to add alcohol to this drink, do so at the end. Shake without alcohol to ensure the best foam is achieved, then add the alcohol.
- Although it is technically possible to make this drink using instant coffee granules, the results are not the same at all. Stick with freshly ground coffee for a truly superior drink.
Gina says
5 stars all the way! This was delicious!
Jane Saunders says
Thanks Gina! I have to say, I agree 😉
Erica Schwarz says
This is delicious! Fun to shake and make too.
Jane Saunders says
It certainly is fun to make - watching that foam miraculously appear is a joy.