Caffe Corretto

Why this works

The amount is the point. A caffè corretto is not a coffee cocktail. It is an espresso with enough spirit to change its aroma and add warmth, about a third of a standard measure. Hot espresso releases the spirit's aromatics instantly, so grappa's grape and floral notes or sambuca's anise come at you first, then the coffee. More than that and the alcohol takes over.

Which spirit is a regional and personal choice. Grappa, made from the skins and seeds left after winemaking, is the northern default, and a young, clear one suits coffee better than an aged one, whose oak notes get lost. Sambuca is common in the centre and south, and its anise and sugar soften the espresso's bitterness. Brandy is the gentle option. Some bars offer amaro too.

The resentin, from the Venetian word for rinse, reverses the order. The coffee is drunk first, and grappa is used to rinse the sugary dregs from the cup, so the last sip is spirit flavoured with coffee and sugar rather than the other way round. In the Veneto and Friuli it is the classic way to end a meal.

Italy has a whole vocabulary for what comes after coffee. An ammazzacaffè, a coffee killer, is a small digestif drunk after the espresso. The corretto combines the two into one cup, which is efficient, and a little more reputable at eleven in the morning than it sounds.

Variations

• Corretto alla grappa: the northern standard.
• Corretto alla sambuca: sweeter, with anise.
• Resentin: espresso first, then grappa swirled in the cup. Veneto and Friuli.
• Corretto al Baileys: a modern tourist order that most Italian bars will make with a sigh.