Here are the most common coffees you’ll find in an Italian bar; most of these should be available in the ubiquitous “bar” no matter where you are in Italy:
- Caffè In Italy the word “caffè’” naturally implies an espresso. There is no need to specify “espresso” when ordering. Served in a demitasse cup.
- Caffè macchiato:- coffee “stained” with milk, with a bit of foam on top. In Italian. macchiare means to “stain. Caffe macchiato is espresso in a demitasse cup, stained with some hot milk.
- Caffè Macchiato Freddo – An espresso served in a demitasse cup with cold or lukewarm milk on the side. It looks like a normal caffè next to a carafe of milk.
- Latte Macchiato – Milk “stained” with coffee, and served hot in a glass cup or in a tall glass, larger than a cappuccino.
- Cappuccino – Espresso plus steamed, frothy milk added so that there is a clean layer of milk foam in a larger cup.
- Caffè Americano – A shot of espresso with hot water added and served in the larger “tazza.”
- Caffè latte: Espresso with hot milk, a cappuccino, without the foam, usually served in a glass. This is what you might call a “latte” in the US. Don’t forget to say “caffe latte”…otherwise you’ll probably get what you actually asked for — millk.
A few variations you might be lucky enough to run into:
- Caffè corretto: coffee “corrected” with a drizzle of liquor.
- Marocchino: sometimes also called an Espresso Mocacchino.. a shot of espresso served in a glass demitasse with a sprinkling of cacao (added either before or after the milk, sometimes both!) and milk foam spooned on top.
- Bicerìn: Traditional drink of Piedmont,around Torino, consisting of dense hot cocoa, espresso and cream, artfully layered in a small glass. Not usually found outside of the Piedmont region.
- Caffè freddo: Iced, or at least cold, coffee.
- Caffè Shakerato:in its most simple form, a caffe shakerato is made by combining freshly made espresso, a bit of sugar, and lots of ice, shaking the whole deal vigorously until a froth forms when poured. May have some chocolate syrup added.
- Cafe della casa or house coffee. Some bars have a specialty coffee drink.
Those are the main events to be found at the ubiquitous Italian coffee bar. Knock yourself out! Take it from a bit-time tea-drinker: if you come home from Italy, without having “done the Italian bar thing”, you’ll have missed a treat!