Amaretto Cappuccino

Historians point out that the cappuccino comes from Vienna. Its ancestor the kapuziner, served in many cafés currently as a Viennese coffee. The kapuziner is just like cappuccino: a double espresso with whipped cream on top, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. The word cappuccino, in Italian, didn’t appear in cafes until the XX century. On the contrary, Austrian coffee shops have used the German expression kapuziner since the late XVII and early XVIII century. 

The original recipe included “coffee with sugar, egg yolks, and cream,” as depicted in historical records.  As the years progressed, the recipe evolved, and it became more common to use cream to obtain the desired red-brown color of the mix.  During the XIX century, recipe variety grew in Vienna cafes, particularly. Some believe that kapuziner recipes included not only cream and sugar but sometimes had spices as well. 

For centuries, the kapuziner has been a local favorite in Austrian cafes. Many coffee shops worldwide serve the kapuziner under the name of Viennese coffee, or Vienna-style coffee, among other variations. Yet, all of them use whipped cream on top of a double or triple espresso.  Chocolate shavings and cinnamon powder are common add-ons. Depending on the country, some cafes will offer these as optional toppings as luxurious alternatives. 

Curiously enough, Italian coffee culture has become the most influential for coffee drinks in the world. Unsurprisingly, most coffee shops use Italian names for their drinks. In this regard, the espresso machine is one of the strongest coffee quality icons.  The release of the first steamless espresso machine in 1938 gave birth to the espresso crema.  Coffee extraction over high-pressure creates a thin layer of foam on top of the coffee due to carbon-dioxide bubbles combined with coffee beans oils. Although it was likely to have bad reception, the inventor of the first stemless espresso machine Achillies Gaggia took advantage and gave the name of crema to the mysterious foam that was a product of the process. Since then, that foamy layer on top of espresso has become a synonym of the drink quality.  Since then, there is no doubt that espresso is “the driving force behind the modern coffee shop phenomenon that has spread around the world.” 

Yet, espresso strength and oily consistency offer a unique experience, impossible to obtain with any other brewing methods. In this regard, an espresso-based cappuccino is unique and the foundation for cappuccino today.  The adaptation of the frothing wand to the espresso machine opened the gates for a new way to enjoy this amazing drink.  Surely enough, the creation and evolution of espresso, until its current form, led to the modern, and most known, Italian cappuccino.  In honor of its evolving journey, I would like to take your tastebuds on a new spin of this fan favorite.  Try our version of a cappuccino, the Amaretto Cappuccino.  It’s definitely a delicious treat and a favorite amounts friends and family. 

For serving - 2 

Ingredients 

  • 4 tablespoons finely ground amaretto flavored fresh roast coffee
  • 8 ounces filtered water
  • 8 ounces milk
  • Fine powdered chocolate or cinnamon 

Directions: 

  • Add filtered water into the boiler of your espresso machine.
  • Place the 4tablespoons or 4 shots of ground coffee into the portafilter, tamp it and pull the shot until 4 ounces of espresso is yielded
  • Foam the milk by engaging it to steam wand in your espresso machine
  • Keep the tip of the wand toward the side of the container. This will create a lovely vortex design with the milk.
  • Once the milk has foamed to double its size, turn the steam wand off.
  • Top the espresso with foamed milk right after foaming.
  • Dust it with chocolate or cinnamon as a finisher
  • Enjoy your coffee! 

 Items you may need:

Recommended Equipment:

Written by Maximilian Lucena
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Amaretto Cappuccino

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