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Affogato al Caffè Corretto

Cocktails

Affogato al Caffè Corretto (Espresso-Drowned Gelato with Amaro)

A scoop of cold vanilla gelato drowned in hot espresso and spiked with a splash of amaro. It is dessert and after-dinner drink in one glass, and it takes about a minute to make.

A scoop of cold vanilla gelato drowned in hot espresso and spiked with a splash of amaro. It is dessert and after-dinner drink in one glass, and it takes about a minute to make.

Coffee Cocktail

Instructions

  1. Chill a rocks glass or small dessert glass for a few minutes so the gelato holds up.

  2. Pull a fresh single shot of espresso and have it ready and hot.

  3. Place one scoop of vanilla gelato in the glass.

  4. Pour the amaro over the gelato, then immediately drown it with the hot espresso.

  5. Serve right away with a small spoon while it is still half-melted.

Equipment

  • Rocks GlassesA small dessert glass works too; no coupe or martini glass needed
  • JiggerOptionalHandy for measuring the amaro accurately
  • Bar SpoonOptionalFor eating and stirring the melting gelato

Nutrition Facts

Calories
230
Protein
3g
Carbohydrates
24g
Fat
8g
0

Per serving

The story

Where it comes from

Affogato (Italian for "drowned") is a classic from across Italy, where a scoop of gelato gets buried under a fresh shot of espresso. The "corretto" part borrows from caffè corretto, the Italian habit of "correcting" a coffee with a splash of liquor like grappa or amaro. Putting the two together turns a simple dessert into a dessert-and-digestivo in one glass, which is why you will often see it after dinner. Bittersweet amari like Averna are a natural fit because they echo the roasty bitterness of the coffee.

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