Local Drinks

1. caffè

   Coffee — in Italy this means an espresso

   Usage

   Ordering "un caffè" in Italy gets you a single small espresso. Many bars charge different prices for standing at the counter (al banco) and sitting at a table (al tavolo), the table being dearer

   Grammar Note

   Masculine (il caffè), with a written accent on the final vowel; the plural is unchanged

2. cappuccino

   Cappuccino

   Usage

   Espresso with steamed, foamed milk. Italians treat it as a morning drink and rarely order one after a meal or in the evening — though nothing stops you. The classic breakfast is a cappuccino with a cornetto

   Grammar Note

   Masculine (il cappuccino); the name comes from the colour of a Capuchin friar's habit

3. caffè macchiato

   Caffè macchiato — espresso "stained" with a little milk

   Usage

   An espresso with just a dash of foamed milk — the same small size as an espresso, not a cappuccino. Some bars let you choose "macchiato caldo" (hot milk) or "macchiato freddo" (cold milk)

   Grammar Note

   Masculine. "Macchiato" is the past participle of "macchiare" (to stain), agreeing with the masculine singular "caffè"

4. latte macchiato

   Latte macchiato — hot milk "stained" with espresso

   Usage

   A glass of hot milk with a little espresso poured into it — the reverse of "caffè macchiato", which is mostly coffee. Order this if you want the milder drink

   Grammar Note

   Masculine (il latte). The word order decides the drink: "latte macchiato" is milk marked with coffee, "caffè macchiato" is coffee marked with milk

5. caffellatte

   Caffellatte — coffee with plenty of hot milk

   Usage

   Careful: asking for "un latte" in a bar gets you a glass of plain milk. Say "caffellatte" (or "caffè latte") for the coffee drink. Unlike a cappuccino the milk is not foamed

   Grammar Note

   Masculine (il caffellatte), a contraction of "caffè e latte"; also written as two words, "caffè latte"

6. caffè lungo

   Caffè lungo — a longer, weaker espresso

   Usage

   An espresso pulled longer than usual; the short, concentrated opposite is "ristretto". Espresso diluted with hot water is "caffè americano", and decaf is "decaffeinato" (colloquially "un deca")

   Grammar Note

   The adjective "lungo" agrees in the masculine singular, as does its opposite "ristretto" (restricted)

7. caffè d'orzo

   Caffè d'orzo — caffeine-free roasted barley drink

   Usage

   Made from roasted barley and completely caffeine-free. It is pulled on the same machine and served in the same small cup as espresso, and can be ordered in bars all over Italy — often just as "un orzo"

   Grammar Note

   "Di" elides to "d'" before a vowel (di + orzo → d'orzo). Note that barley contains gluten

8. spremuta d'arancia

   Spremuta d'arancia — freshly squeezed orange juice

   Usage

   Juice squeezed to order. Bottled or carton juice is "succo di frutta", a different thing. In winter some bars offer "spremuta di arance rosse" from Sicilian blood oranges

   Grammar Note

   Feminine (la spremuta); "di" elides to "d'" before a vowel. Lemon juice is "spremuta di limone"

9. acqua frizzante

   Acqua frizzante — sparkling water

   Usage

   Restaurants always ask whether you want it sparkling or still: still water is "acqua naturale" or "acqua liscia". Water is not free in Italian restaurants and normally arrives bottled

   Grammar Note

   Feminine (l'acqua), elided before the vowel; the plural is "le acque". "Acqua gassata" also means sparkling water

10. cioccolata calda

    Cioccolata calda — thick Italian hot chocolate

    Usage

    The Italian version is thick enough to stand a spoon in, and served in small portions. Add "con panna" for whipped cream. A winter staple

    Grammar Note

    Feminine (la cioccolata), so the adjective takes the feminine "calda". A chocolate bar is the masculine "il cioccolato"

11. chinotto

    Chinotto — dark, bitter Italian citrus soda

    Usage

    A non-alcoholic soda sold throughout Italy: cola-dark, sweet but distinctly bitter. It is named after the chinotto citrus (Citrus myrtifolia) grown along the Tyrrhenian coast

    Grammar Note

    Masculine (il chinotto); the same word names the fruit itself

12. granita

    Granita — Sicilian semi-frozen iced dessert-drink

    Usage

    A Sicilian semi-frozen ice: lemon, almond, coffee, pistachio or mulberry. In summer it is eaten for breakfast with a brioche. Messina's version is creamier, the Catania area's firmer

    Grammar Note

    Feminine (la granita). Sicily's PAT list of traditional products includes granita di gelsi neri (mulberry), mandorla (almond) and gelsomino (jasmine)

13. bicerin

    Bicerin — Turin's layered coffee-and-chocolate drink

    Usage

    A drink from Turin (Piedmont): coffee, chocolate and cream layered in a small glass, with no alcohol. It was added to Piedmont's PAT list of traditional products in 2001

    Grammar Note

    Masculine (il bicerin); the word is Piedmontese dialect for "small glass"

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