Coffee Drink
Caffè Shakerato: Shaken Espresso Recipe, Ratios and Calories
Caffè shakerato is espresso shaken with ice, then strained into a chilled glass with a light coffee foam. This sweetened home version uses 40 g prepared espresso, 15 g simple syrup and 120 g (4.2 oz) shaking ice. There is no milk, alcohol or serving ice in the recipe.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- About 85 mg (reference)40 g prepared espresso × generic USDA 212 mg per 100 gGeneric prepared-espresso reference, rounded for this serving.
- Calories
- About 33 kcal40 g prepared espresso plus the sugar in 15 g (0.5 oz) syrupAssumes 1:1 sugar and water by mass, and that all coffee and syrup are served. No milk or liqueur.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 strained drink; 40 g espresso, 15 g (0.5 oz) syrup and variable ice melt
- Made with
- Espresso, simple syrup and shaking ice
- Sugar
- About 7.5 g total. From the 7.5 g granulated-sugar ingredient in the syrup; all of this is added sugar.
- Preparation
- About 4 minutes, with espresso equipment and syrup ready
USDA ingredient composition for the defined home serving, checked 25 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Shake and strain: the ice chills and dilutes the espresso in the shaker, then stays behind when you serve.
- 2This 15 g portion of 1:1 syrup contains 7.5 g (1¾ US tsp) sugar ingredient. The full drink is about 33 kcal and 7.5 g total sugar.
- 3About 85 mg caffeine is a generic reference for 40 g prepared espresso, not a measurement of this 18 g coffee dose.
On This Page10 Sections
What Makes a Shakerato Different
The defining move is straining away the shaking ice. You get a small cold coffee with an aerated surface, rather than a tall drink that keeps melting over serving ice. Milk is not needed to make that foam.
Food writer Faith Willinger's published recipe describes espresso, ice, optional syrup and a strained stemmed-glass service. The gram amounts below define our home version.
How to Make Caffè Shakerato
Use a metal cocktail shaker in good condition with enough space for the ice to move. Have the espresso machine warmed up and the syrup ready before starting the four-minute recipe.
Recipe
Caffè shakerato
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 4 minutes; machine and syrup ready
Ingredients
- 18 g finely ground coffee, brewed to 40 g espresso
- 15 g (0.5 oz) 1:1 simple syrup, sugar and water by mass
- 120 g (4.2 oz) ice cubes for shaking
Equipment
- Espresso machine, scale, metal shaker, strainer, 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) coupe
Method
- Chill a 150 ml (5.1 US fl oz) coupe with cold water and ice; set it aside.
- Brew 18 g coffee to 40 g espresso. Stir in 15 g (0.5 oz) of the prepared syrup.
- Put 120 g (4.2 oz) ice in a metal cocktail shaker. Add the coffee and stir with the lid off until cold before sealing.
- Close securely, hold both parts firmly away from your face, and shake for 12–15 seconds.
- Empty and dry the coupe. Strain the coffee into it, leaving the shaking ice behind. Serve immediately.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 33 calories; total sugar 7.5 g. Serving: 40 g espresso plus 15 g (0.5 oz) syrup and variable ice melt.
Recipe notes
Use syrup made with equal masses of sugar and water.
Make the syrup separately: dissolve 20 g (1½ US tbsp) granulated sugar in 20 g (4 US tsp) water, warming gently if needed without boiling away water. Cool it, then weigh only 15 g of that syrup for one drink. A commercial syrup may have a different sugar concentration; check its label.
Nutrition for This Sweetened Recipe
| Defined serving | Estimated amount |
|---|---|
| 40 g espresso + 15 g equal-mass syrup | About 33 kcal |
| Total sugar | About 7.5 g |
| Added sugar | About 7.5 g |
| Same coffee without syrup | About 4 kcal; 0 g sugar |
These are ingredient estimates, including all the coffee and syrup and allowing no deduction for residue in the shaker. The calculation and caffeine limits are below.
Shakerato Ratio, Dilution and Sweetness
There are three different ratios to keep apart: 18 g dry coffee to 40 g espresso describes extraction; 1:1 sugar to water by mass describes syrup; the amount of ice that melts describes dilution.
What Changing the Syrup Actually Changes
For a sweetened version, I use syrup instead of loose sugar. I like the sweetness even from the start, without finding a particularly sugary last sip waiting at the bottom of the glass.
The comparison below uses the declared syrup recipe and USDA ingredient records. Keep the espresso at 40 g:
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| 1:1 syrup added | Sugar ingredient in it | Estimated whole-drink calories |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g | 5 g | About 23 kcal |
| 15 g: this recipe | 7.5 g | About 33 kcal |
| 20 g | 10 g | About 42 kcal |
Check what “1:1” means. Equal spoonfuls of sugar and water are not equal masses. And 15 g of a 2:1 syrup made by mass contains 10 g (2½ US tsp) sugar, rather than 7.5 g. Weighing the syrup alone is useful only if its formulation is known.
Some of the 120 g (4.2 oz) shaking ice melts. Ice temperature, cube size, coffee temperature and time all affect the final yield. Straining stops additional ice melting in the served glass; it does not undo dilution that already happened.
Shakerato vs. Freddo Espresso and Iced Espresso
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Drink | Main action in our guides | What reaches the drinking glass |
|---|---|---|
| Shakerato | Shake espresso with ice | Strained coffee and foam, without serving ice |
| Freddo espresso | Chill and aerate espresso with ice | Coffee served over ice |
| Iced espresso | Pour espresso over ice | Coffee and ice together |
| Café con hielo | Serve hot coffee beside a glass of ice | The drinker combines them |
Use the serving description to choose: a small strained drink, or a coffee that remains over ice.
How to Fix a Flat, Watery or Harsh Shakerato
| What you notice | What to check next |
|---|---|
| Very little foam | Secure the shaker and use the full short shake; foam also varies with the espresso. |
| More dilution than wanted | Start with hard, cold ice and a chilled glass; avoid extending the shake unnecessarily. |
| Gritty sweetness | Dissolve sugar before cooling, or use a fully dissolved syrup. |
| Harsh or unpleasant coffee | Check the espresso on its own before changing the syrup. Ice and sugar do not repair extraction. |
| Ice chips in the coupe | Add a fine strainer beneath the shaker's strainer. |
Do not seal a shaker containing hot coffee alone. Add ice first and cool the mixture while it is open, as in the method. Follow the shaker manufacturer's fill and closure instructions; an ordinary glass jar is not a substitute.
Italian Name and Serving Context
The Italian dictionary Treccani connects shakerare with the English verb “shake” and lists caffè shakerato as a use of its participle. Caffe shakerato, without the accent, refers to the same drink in English-language searches.
The stemmed glass does not make it alcoholic. Our recipe is coffee, syrup and ice; an espresso martini is a separate cocktail. Ask about the ingredients if a café offers a flavored or liqueur version.
Shakerato Calories and Caffeine
One serving has about 33 kcal, 7.5 g sugar and 85 mg reference caffeine. The sugar comes from the measured syrup; all the coffee and syrup are served.
Serving calculation and sources
The calorie model uses USDA SR Legacy records for prepared restaurant espresso (FDC 171891: 9 kcal per 100 g) and granulated sugar (FDC 169655: 387 kcal and 99.8 g total sugar per 100 g). Calculation: 40 × 0.09 + 7.5 × 3.87 = 32.625 kcal, rounded to 33. The sugar estimate is 7.5 × 0.998 = 7.485 g, rounded to 7.5 g.
The same generic espresso record contains 212 mg caffeine per 100 g prepared beverage: 40 × 2.12 = 84.8 mg, shown as about 85 mg. This compares the serving with a database coffee; it does not establish what an 18 g dose of your beans extracts.
Questions About Caffè Shakerato
Is a Shakerato Made with Milk?
This version is dairy-free and needs no milk to foam. A café may offer other shaken coffee recipes with dairy, so confirm the ingredients when ordering.
Does a Shakerato Stay on Ice?
The method here strains the shaking ice out and serves the coffee in a chilled glass. If you want a drink over ice, see the freddo and iced-espresso comparison above.
Can I Make It Without Simple Syrup?
Yes. Omit it for unsweetened coffee, or dissolve 7.5 g (1¾ US tsp) granulated sugar in the hot espresso. The latter keeps a similar sugar amount but removes the syrup's 7.5 g (1½ US tsp) water, so dilution is not identical.
Can I Add Alcohol?
You can choose a liqueur variation, but it changes the recipe, calories and alcohol content.
Editor's Take
Research Notes and Sources
The method and name are source-supported; the mass recipe, syrup comparison and nutrient arithmetic are editorial analysis.
4 references
External links open in a new tab