The Italian coffee recipe
for your table
Rinse the glass with hot tap water and leave it for a minute so it warms all the way through. Pour out the water and dry the outside. A cold glass draws the heat out of the coffee so quickly that the cream sinks straight through it.
Pour the amaretto into the warm glass. There’s no need to add sugar, as the liqueur is already sweet; if you find it too sharp, stir in half a teaspoon of soft brown sugar before adding the coffee.
Pour in the hot coffee until it is about two centimetres below the rim and stir once with a long bar spoon. Then let the glass stand for half a minute so the coffee is no longer boiling when the cream is added.
Whip the cream until it is just soft and still slides off the spoon, not stiff. Let it slide onto the coffee over the rounded side of an inverted bar spoon and sprinkle the toasted almond flakes over it. Serve it immediately and do not stir again.
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The story
In Dutch and Belgian cafés, Italian coffee is listed among the other coffee specialties: Irish coffee with Irish whiskey, French coffee with Grand Marnier, Spanish coffee with Licor 43, and Italian coffee with amaretto. This liqueur comes from Saronno in Lombardy, where Disaronno is the best-known name, and smells of almond and marzipan even though it does not need to contain almond: the flavor comes from apricot kernels. That marzipan-like character suits the roasted side of coffee, and with a layer of cream on top, you get something closer to a dessert than a cup of coffee.
The right glass
An Italian coffee is served in the same type of glass as an Irish coffee: tempered glass on a small stem with a handle, holding 24 to 28 centiliters, so there is room for the coffee, liqueur, and a layer of cream. The stem keeps the heat away from the table, and the handle keeps it away from your fingers. Through the clear sides, you can see the white layer against the dark brown, so pour the coffee to two centimeters below the rim; otherwise, there will be no room left for the cream. If you often serve layered drinks in a glass, also take a look at the latte macchiato glasses.
Onis Bill Irish Coffee Glass 24 cl (6 pieces)
Libbey Sentido Irish Coffee Glass 26 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 33,90.
The right tools
For an Italian coffee, besides the glass, use a jigger to measure out the four centiliters of amaretto and a long bar spoon to stir and let the cream slide over the rounded side. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 47,85.
What do you use to make an Italian coffee?
For an Italian coffee, you need liqueur, specifically amaretto. The best-known bottle is Disaronno, but any amaretto will work. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Replace the amaretto with Frangelico and you get hazelnut instead of almond; with a splash of sambuca, it takes on an anise flavor, and with Kahlúa, it leans toward coffee liqueur. Grate dark chocolate over the cream instead of sliced almonds if you want a darker flavor. For an alcohol-free version, a few drops of almond extract in strong coffee will take you a long way. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Place the Italian coffee on a saucer with a teaspoon beside it and serve a small glass of cold water, as is customary in Italy with espresso. Serve immediately, because the cream sinks in after a few minutes and the sliced almonds soften. If you prefer to stir, go ahead; you will get a creamy coffee instead of two layers.
Good to know
Why the cream stays on top
Whipped cream stays on top of the coffee as long as it contains air and the coffee does not boil through it. Whip it until it is just thick enough to hold soft peaks and still slides off the spoon, then let it slide into the glass over the rounded side of an upside-down bar spoon. Stiffly whipped cream drops down in a lump, while liquid cream mixes in immediately.
The difference between Irish coffee and French coffee
The structure is the same in all three: hot coffee, something sweet, a splash of liquor, and a layer of cream. The bottle makes the difference. An Irish coffee contains Irish whiskey, a French coffee contains Grand Marnier, and an Italian coffee contains amaretto. Almond and marzipan pair more closely with coffee than whiskey does, so the Italian is the smoothest of the three.
Sugar or not
Amaretto is already sweet, so you can leave out the teaspoon of sugar used in an Irish coffee here. If you find it too sharp, stir half a teaspoon of brown sugar into the coffee before adding the liqueur. Two layers of sweetness in a row make the whole thing sticky.
Which amaretto to choose
Disaronno is the most popular bottle and has an alcohol content of 28 percent, which allows it to hold its own well in hot coffee. There are also Italian producers such as Villa Massa and Dutch distillers such as De Kuyper. Choose one you also enjoy neat, because four centiliters is enough to recognize the character of the bottle.
Toasting almond flakes
Place the almond flakes in a dry pan over medium heat and shake until just golden brown, a few minutes. Let them cool before adding them to the cream, otherwise the cream underneath will melt away. You can also use them untoasted, but then you miss the toasted flavor that mirrors the amaretto.
For several people
Place all the glasses under hot water in the sink at the same time while you make the coffee, and whip the cream all at once for the entire round. First divide the amaretto among the glasses, then pour in the coffee, and let the cream settle on top of all the glasses last. This way, the first one will not collapse on the table before the last one is ready.
Frequently asked questions
What is in an Italian coffee?
Hot coffee, 4 cl amaretto and a layer of lightly whipped cream, topped with toasted almond flakes. You do not need to add sugar, because the amaretto is already sweet. Serve it in a stemmed coffee glass with a capacity of 24 to 28 centiliters, preheated first.
What is the difference between Italian coffee and Irish coffee?
The alcohol. You make Irish coffee with Irish whiskey and a teaspoon of brown sugar; Italian coffee with amaretto, which is already sweet on its own. Both get a layer of cream that stays on top of the coffee, and both are served in the same stemmed glass.
Which amaretto do you use for an Italian coffee?
Disaronno is the most popular choice and, at 28 percent, holds its own well in hot coffee. Villa Massa and De Kuyper also make amaretto. Choose a bottle you enjoy neat, because with four centiliters per glass, its flavor remains easy to recognize.
Which glass do you use for an Italian coffee?
A stemmed coffee glass with a capacity of 24 to 28 centiliters, made of tempered glass so it can withstand hot coffee. The stem keeps the heat away from the table, and the handle lets you hold it without burning your fingers, while the clear glass keeps the layer of cream visible.
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