It’s rare to find a coffee shop in the US that has a cappuccino shakerato on the menu, but the drink—espresso and milk shaken over ice until it’s frothy—is a staple all over Italy. While this cold cappuccino doesn’t have quite the whipped consistency of Dalgona coffee, it has the same feeling of decadence, with a foam topping that gives milkshake vibes.
The cappuccino shakerato has long been my mom’s go-to coffee drink—in Italy and at home. She turned me onto them when I was in high school, and they’ve become my coffee of choice, too.
When I’m in Italy, I like to order a doppio cappuccino shakerato senza zucchero, which gets me a freezing cold cappuccino with a double shot of espresso, shaken over ice, without any sugar. If you simply ask for a caffè shakerato, it’ll be espresso shaken over ice, no milk, and for me, that’s too strong. If you don’t mention anything about sugar, the drink will likely come sweetened. (I personally like for the sweetness to come from cookies or a slice of cake.)
Sipping on a shakerato when you’re reading on an Italian beach is, obviously, the life, but no one said you can’t recreate la dolce vita in the comfort of your own kitchen!!!! The simple method takes less than five minutes to make, and it beats that summer heat like nothing else can. It’s a workout, too. All that shake-shake-shakin’ = bonus arm day.
Cappuccino Shakerato
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients
A cup of ice, plus more as needed
1-2 shots fresh espresso, depending on your preference
Milk, whatever kind you like, as much or little as it takes to get the drink to your desired shade of brown
Steps
Make espresso, set aside.
Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add espresso and desired amount of milk. Seal the top of the shaker then shake that thing like nobody’s watching, until you can feel that the outside of the shaker is fully chilled, about 30 seconds.
Strain out the cold cappuccino into another glass, leaving the ice behind in the shaker; the foam will form at the top.
Optional: top with a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder.
Drink right away, preferably with a plate of cookies.
Notes
A cappuccino shakerato is typically served without ice. It shouldn’t need ice to be kept cold, but if you want the extra zing, add ice to the finished product (or don’t strain the ice out to begin with, but the ice that you shake the espresso and milk with will melt a little).
You don’t need any special equipment to make this recipe! If you don’t have an espresso maker at home, you can buy a shot or two from your favorite local coffee shop and then follow the recipe as is. If you don’t have a martini shaker, get creative. Use a mason jar and make sure to tighten the top, or use a water bottle, or any other glass / cup that you can secure with a tight-fitting lid.
Pro-tip: if you have the time, brew the espresso and chill it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before adding the milk and making the shakerato. This makes the drink extra extra cold and helps prevent the ice from melting during shaking.
Nina - thank you! Just made my 1st shakerato. All the ice melted upon shaking, but it doesn't taste watered down, at all. It's delicious!!! And an arm workout was also on my morning agenda.
Another thank you for a book suggestion. Was pondering a good summer book and "The Comedian - Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy" might be my next read.
Shake it baby….🇮🇹☕️🧊☕️🇮🇹