What is Caffè Corretto? Why is Espresso Served with Spirits?

Recently, while revisiting James Hoffmann's "Guide to Brewing Coffee at Home," FrontStreet Coffee came across an espresso drink that was both somewhat unfamiliar and somewhat familiar: Caffè Corretto.

It sounded familiar because FrontStreet Coffee had heard of this name before and even wrote about it in an article – it's an Italian specialty drink that's quite obscure in China. However, the presentation shown in the image felt somewhat unusual. While mixed drinks of espresso and alcohol are well-known to most people, FrontStreet Coffee had never seen them served "separately" like this before.

What is Caffè Corretto?

Caffè Corretto is a very traditional Italian coffee drink. In Italian, "Corretto" means "corrected" or "fixed," so when directly translated into English, it becomes "corrected coffee." However, in the Chinese linguistic system, we tend to use transliteration for foreign vocabulary, which is why it's commonly known as "Caffè Corretto" (卡瑞托咖啡) in China.

Unlike other espresso varieties, Caffè Corretto is a drink more commonly found in Italian cafés. Once you step outside of Italy, it becomes quite difficult to find.

The Origin of Caffè Corretto

As early as the 17th century, coffee was introduced to Italy, but it wasn't until the late 19th century that it became mainstream among the public. Around the 1930s, with the birth and popularization of espresso machines, the espresso we know today officially entered Italian coffee culture. At that time, the fascist regime promoted espresso consumption among the working class to encourage hard work.

However, just as coffee culture reached its peak, Mussolini's government faced sanctions and high tariffs, causing coffee prices to continuously rise. Those who wanted coffee but couldn't afford it had to find cheaper alternatives, such as roasting grains to a dark color, grinding them into powder, and adding hot water to "imitate" the strong taste of coffee.

Although these "budget coffee alternatives" had some resemblance to espresso, their taste wasn't pleasant, especially the bitterness that made them difficult to swallow. To make these bitter drinks more palatable, adding spirits became a good solution. The addition of alcohol also gave the drink its new name "Corretto" (corrected), meaning to cover up the bad taste.

In fact, before Caffè Corretto emerged, Italians had already tried combining coffee and alcohol, but it didn't become popular until the second half of the 20th century when the coffee + spirits combination was officially named "Caffè Corretto" and entered Italian coffee menus.

How to Drink Caffè Corretto?

Although drinking Caffè Corretto is common throughout Italy, different regions have varying methods and times of consumption.

For example, in the north, people use Italy's national spirit Grappa or brandy to mix with espresso. Farmers and workers enjoy drinking a cup in the morning to warm up their bodies. In central or southern Italy, people prefer to drink it after meals to aid digestion and refresh themselves. The coffee is paired with anise-flavored liqueur Sambuca, giving the coffee a spicy aftertaste.

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, the presentation of Caffè Corretto is quite special. The barista serves a freshly brewed espresso alongside a small glass of high-proof spirits, typically in a glass shot glass. Additionally, when ordering, customers can choose their preferred type of spirits according to their taste.

However, not all coffee shops follow this procedure uniformly. Some establishments add a few drops of spirits to the espresso first, then serve it with a packet of sugar and a small spoon. Other shops take a more generous approach, bringing out an entire bottle of spirits and letting customers add as much as they wish.

Italians typically drink this "stimulating combination" after meals because they believe it both refreshes and aids digestion. Before drinking, they add a little sugar and stir. When the coffee is nearly finished, they pour in the spirits, shake it gently, and drink it all at once. In other words, whether tasting separately or adding spirits to coffee (and how much), depends entirely on the customer's personal preferences and habits.

FrontStreet Coffee's Caffè Corretto Experience

Since we're on this topic, FrontStreet Coffee took this opportunity to create a simple budget version of Caffè Corretto! The espresso component was still our shop's daily Sunflower Warm Sunshine coffee, paired with a low-alcohol white wine that leans toward the sweeter side.

FrontStreet Coffee first added a small amount of sugar to the espresso. At this point, the coffee had a rich, slightly bitter, and sweet taste, with the bean's natural fermented wine aroma. When halfway through, we added the liqueur, shook it gently to taste, and found that the coffee's texture became much lighter while carrying a stronger alcohol sensation. The overall taste leaned sweet, with much of the bitterness masked. Compared to drinking espresso straight, the coffee with spirits was indeed much easier to drink.

Finally, we tried a minor-friendly version of Caffè Corretto – "espresso + pineapple beer." As for the taste, FrontStreet Coffee won't elaborate much here. You can find someone from Guangdong province and try it yourself to find out.

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FrontStreet Coffee
No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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