Freddo espresso

Ingredients

Coffee

• 2shots (about 60 ml) freshly pulled espresso, from a dark Greek-style blend, 18 g of coffee
• 1–2 tspcaster sugar, added while the coffee is hot: none for sketos, one for metrios, two for glykos

Ice

• 4ice cubes, for whipping
• 8–10hard ice cubes, for the serving glass

Glass

• 1tall straight tumbler, about 300 ml
• 1straw

Directions

1. Pull a double espresso straight into the tall metal cup of a milk frother or a small stainless jug. Speed matters from here on.
2. Stir the sugar into the hot coffee at once, until it dissolves completely. Sugar will not dissolve properly later in cold coffee.
3. Drop in 4 ice cubes and immediately whip with the spinning blade of an electric frother, moving it up and down through the liquid.
4. Whip for 20–30 seconds. The espresso chills fast, doubles in volume and turns into a dense, glossy hazelnut-brown foam.
5. Fill the tumbler right to the top with hard ice cubes; a barista in Athens packs the glass so the coffee has almost no room to slop.
6. Strain the whipped coffee over the ice, holding back the melting cubes from the shaker, and let the foam settle in a thick collar at the top.
7. Serve straight away with a straw, no milk. It should taste bitter, intensely aromatic and cold enough to sting.
8. For a freddo cappuccino, whip 100 ml of cold full-fat milk separately with the frother until it becomes a light, pourable foam, and float it over the top.

Technique

• The foam is created by aeration and rapid chilling, not by any additive. Whipping in a shaker with the same ice works but gives a looser, thinner foam.
• Use plenty of ice, and hard ice. Wet, half-melted cubes water the coffee down and kill the crema.
• Freddo espresso is now the default Greek coffee order and vastly outsells the older frappé, which is made with instant coffee and was invented at the Thessaloniki trade fair in 1957.
• Sweetness is decided at the counter, not at the table: sketos, metrios or glykos, and it must be said when you order.

Substitutions

• No espresso machine: brew a strong double moka pot, about 60 ml, and use it immediately while it is still hot.
• No electric frother: seal the hot sweetened coffee and 4 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and shake hard for 30 seconds.

Variations

• Freddo cappuccino, crowned with cold whipped milk foam (afrogala).
• Frappé, made from instant coffee shaken with water, sugar and ice.
• Freddo espresso with a splash of evaporated milk, common in island cafés.

History

Developed in Greek cafés in the 1990s and now outselling the older frappé nationwide.

Frequently asked questions

What is Freddo espresso?

Freddo espresso is a drink from Greece: espresso shaken with ice into cold foam, served over ice cubes. Developed in Greek cafés in the 1990s and now outselling the older frappé nationwide.

How long does Freddo espresso take to make?

Freddo espresso takes 5 min of preparation and 1 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 tall glass. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Freddo espresso?

Yes, within limits. No espresso machine: brew a strong double moka pot, about 60 ml, and use it immediately while it is still hot. No electric frother: seal the hot sweetened coffee and 4 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and shake hard for 30 seconds.

What is the most important thing to get right in Freddo espresso?

Sweetness is decided at the counter, not at the table: sketos, metrios or glykos, and it must be said when you order.