Caffe Shakerato – Shaken, not Stirred
Taking cues from Ian Fleming’s fictional British Secret Service agent 007, there’s many different ways to concoct a delicious coffee drink. A Caffe Shakerato is one extravagant drink that takes a little extra preparation with great results.
A Caffe Shakerato is created from fresh espresso, syrup and ice. These are combined in a cocktail shaker, and are shaken vigorously until a smooth froth is created.
It’s then strained as it’s poured into a glass – typically this type of drink is served in something reminiscent of a large cocktail glass, a martini glass or other type of stemmed glass.
Authentic coffee bars over in Italy will also sometimes get a bit more fancy – by introducing decoration and extra ingredients to spice up your Shakerato and give it a unique twist.
Chocolate syrup, chocolate sprinkles, colouring, whipped cream and even coffee beans themselves are used to give the drink an instagram-worthy appearance and get you that little bit more excited for the first sip.
Different variations can also be created by introducing extra flavoured syrups, a touch of liqueur or alcohol to make things a bit more interesting. The simplicity of the base ingredients of a Shakerato leave it wide open for creative variations.
If you’ve never tried one, it’s a delicious coffee drink to try that can be tailored to your liking, if you’re a fan of iced coffee drinks, that is.
How to make a Caffe Shakerato
What you’ll need
- Freshly made Espresso
- Ice Cubes
- Sugar or Simple Syrup (Equal parts Sugar and Water, heated and dissolved into a smooth syrup, then cooled)
- Strainer
- Any additional syrups, flavours or garnish (Optional)
Method
- Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, and then add the hot espresso directly onto the ice
- Add the sugar or sugar syrup, and any additional flavours/alcohol/liqueurs
- Add the other half of the shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Strain the shaken concoction into the serving glass
- (Optional) Garnish or decorate your Shakerato with syrup, sprinkles, cocoa powder or whipped cream
- Serve (and enjoy!)