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Italian · VI The Beverage Tradition

Caffè corretto

Italia settentrionale e centrale (uso diffuso in tutta la penisola)

‹ The Beverage Tradition

I

Origin

Caffè corretto is an espresso 'corrected' with a small measure of spirit, most often grappa, and in other houses sambuca or brandy. It belongs to the everyday coffee-bar custom of the Italian north and centre, where grappa is the native spirit of the wine-growing country. Waverley Root treats coffee and grappa among the drinks of the Italian table, and the authorities consulted give no firm date or single place of birth for the practice, so none is claimed here.

II

Description

A single espresso, served in a small preheated cup, to which a measure of grappa, distilled from the pomace of grapes (Vitis vinifera), is added. The spirit may be poured into the cup before the coffee, or served alongside in a small glass for the drinker to add. Sambuca, flavoured with anise, and brandy are the usual alternatives. The drink is taken standing at the bar, in a few swallows, and is not sweetened by custom so that the spirit remains clear.

III

The Thread

—Both pour a spirit distilled from grape pomace into or beside a small black coffee, so that bitterness and alcohol are set against each other. The French version uses marc, often taken after a meal, while the Italian is equally a morning bar drink and is built on grappa. French
—Both fortify a short black coffee with a measure of spirit, the carajillo commonly using brandy or aguardiente. The Spanish drink is often warmed or flamed with sugar, whereas the Italian is kept simple and unsweetened. Spanish
—Both join hot coffee with distilled spirit to warm and fortify the drinker. The Irish drink is a long, sweetened preparation topped with cream, while caffè corretto is a single concentrated mouthful with no dilution. Irish
IV

Flavour Context

Caffè corretto is taken at the end of a meal or in the early hours at the bar, beside a glass of water, and it follows a rich or fatty table of roasts, boiled meats or cheese. The reason is structural: the roasted bitterness and heat of the espresso cut through fat, while the spirit adds warmth and a clean, vinous edge that closes the palate. Sweet pastry is better left apart, since sugar would blunt the contrast the drink depends on.

Pillars V — VII
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