Frappé coffee — refreshment for hot days
Invigorating and refreshing in the heat, frappé can be enjoyed all year round and prepared with all kinds of additions. Think cold coffee, chilled milk, ice and a little sweetness. Here is a recipe for a refreshing coffee drink with an inviting foam.
On hot summer days, a well-chilled coffee is especially appealing. Espresso, cold milk and a few ice cubes are enough for a simple variation that lets you enjoy your favourite flavour in a cooler form.
Where did frappé come from?
Greek frappé has become a favourite far beyond the Mediterranean, including in Poland. Its familiar origin story describes a Greek employee at a food-company event who had no hot water for coffee.
He mixed instant coffee with cold water and agitated the mixture until it foamed. The idea was brilliantly simple and quickly became popular. A mixer, shaker or an ordinary jar can help create the foam.
A frappé recipe
There are many home variations: use instant coffee, espresso or a strong brewed base, with or without sugar, with milk, water and different additions. Traditional Greek frappé uses instant coffee; an espresso-based iced drink is a related variation rather than the same preparation.
If using roasted beans, prepare the coffee in an espresso machine, moka pot or your preferred brewer. This guide suggests around 6–7 g of grounds with water at 90–95°C for a small brewed base, then allowing it to cool.
For instant coffee, mix the granules with a little cold water. Serve the finished drink over ice in a tall glass, with a suitable straw if desired.
Ingredients
- One espresso, around 30 ml; around 50 ml of strong brewed coffee; or instant coffee to taste. The original recipe suggests two tablespoons of instant coffee, which can be a strong dose: follow the product guidance and reduce the amount to suit your caffeine tolerance.
- Chilled milk.
- Cold water and/or ice cubes.
- Sugar and seasonal fruit, optional.
- Optional syrup, cocoa, chocolate, flaked almonds or nuts.
Method
- Prepare your coffee base and let it cool fully. Sweeten it first if desired.
- Whisk or shake the cool coffee to create foam, using a mixer, frother or a securely closed suitable jar. Instant coffee usually produces the most familiar stable frappé foam.
- Put a few ice cubes into a tall glass and add cold milk.
- Pour in the coffee and foam, add a straw if desired, and enjoy.
Crushed ice is an option, though whole cubes generally keep the drink cold for longer. For coffee ice cubes, freeze cooled coffee diluted with a little water. They chill the drink without watering down its flavour as much.
For a fruity summer version, mash or blend fruit such as raspberries and put it in the glass first. Finish with spices, chocolate or flaked almonds, or add a little flavoured syrup to the milk or coffee.
Photo by Migle via Flickr, under a Creative Commons licence.