Caffé Corretto
With the recent posts on Italian caffé or espresso corretto, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about it. The other night I met a friend for dinner at Via Tribunali and I thought that this might be a good place to give one a try. After we’d finished a delicious salad and pizza, I ordered my first caffé corretto.
Kevin, who is not only one of my favorite bartenders but also a friend, asked, “Really? Are you sure?”, and then proceeded to tell Chris, the other bartender on duty. They both looked at me, raised their eyebrows and shrugged their shoulders. But I persevered! I was sure I would find a hidden gem that had been unknown to me.
I wish I could say it was a satisfying end to my quest. But I’d be lying. Big time. I guess this is definitely an acquired taste. I tried adding sugar and that was a bit better but I just couldn’t get past the clash of the pure alcohol of the grappa with the deep taste of the coffee. And I’m actually not even sure this is a taste I’d ever want to acquire. Sometimes the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts! I guess I have to admire those who make this beverage a regular part of their routine - they certainly have more fortitude than I do!
I actually love coffee drinks and that’s why I thought that I’d take to this. 
Give it one more try, but next time ask for Sambuca or anisette instead of grappa.
That’s the way my relatives made it. It’s also the way they make it in Spain (called a “Carajillo” and made with anís dulce). I think you’ll find that the flavors mesh together much better than with grappa.
Sal