Photo: Silvio Paladino
Italy (and much of Europe) has been feeling mighty hot these last weeks, which might come as a bit of a surprise. (Not to those who have been listening to climate scientists all along, however.)
It’s not like Italy is sitting on the Equator, so you can be forgiven for assuming that an Italian summer isn’t all that intense, but let me just put on my meteorologist (or geologist?) hat for a minute. While Italy tends to experience hot summers, Florence (where we specialize!) is known by Italians for being one of the hottest cities in Italy.
Florence’s location in a small basin encircled by hills is a determining factor for its changeable climate. Summers tend to be extremely hot and humid, and winters are cool and wet. The average daytime highs for July and August are about 95°F (35°C). Add climate change to the mix, and we have a concerning cocktail.
Florence is consistently one of Italy’s hottest cities with very little breeze to cool you off and no body of water (besides pools) to go for a dip! Swimming in the Arno is not allowed… not matter how tempting it might look when you’re sweating head to toe.
Italians who are fortunate enough, make a beeline for the coast the moment the temperature begins to rise. However, this shouldn’t discourage you if you happen to visiting Florence in the summer. Especially when we’ve got you covered with an array of delicious seasonal drinks to help you weather even the hottest afternoon. Coffee bars often have iced lemonade if espresso is not your thing either! Try a glass of tea over lemon granite if you happen to be in Southern Italy or anywhere that has iced tea and granite together!
We can’t stress enough to stay hydrated and respect your body’s physical limits. Fill up your bottles at the fountains in Piazza della Signoria, Piazza Tasso and the little courtyard behind Piazza dei Ciompi on Via dell’Agnolo. Bookmark this Reel for addresses we did on Instagram
Photo: Coral Sisk.
Caffè shakerato
It wouldn’t be Italy if coffee wasn’t consumed in every season. Aside from the ubiquitous coffee granita, the locals have found a myriad of ways to reinvent their favorite beverage into a summer heat beating treat.
The first is the caffe shakerato. If you haven’t guessed from its very Anglo-Italian name, this drink is an import. It’s the Italian answer to an iced coffee - espresso poured over ice in a martini tumbler then shaken James Bond style to produce a frothy topped iced drink.
Italians are not particularly fond of milk, less fond of cream and even less fond of diluting their coffee with either, so this is a nice compromise for that caffeine hit without the heat.
Looking for one in Florence? Hit up fancy cafes such as Rivoire, Gilli and Cafe Scudieri. Most coffee bars will do a shakerato upon request. Please note they do cost more, so if you consume a couple coffees a day, consider asking for “caffe con ghiacchio” - espresso with a cup of ice you can pour over yourself.
Top tip: If you’d like your shaken coffee sweet, be sure to ask “zuccherato, per favore” when ordering. Be sure to say “amaro” if you are sweet enough and like your coffee straight.
Caffè leccese
Caffè salentino or caffè leccese traces its roots back to Lecce (a city in Puglia) about 70 years ago. The story goes that a local merchant was selling ice and making coffee when he thought to combine the two. The ice was broken up and small irregular cubes of it were then placed directly into the steaming cup, just sweetened according to customer preferences.
But the caffè leccese stands apart from its iced coffee cousins for one unexpected addition - a short pour of either almond syrup or almond milk, stirred together with ice and espresso coffee. Almonds are very Southern Italian and add a distinctive flavor to the coffee. You can also find fresh made almond milk at coffee bars around Southern Italy, especially Calabria and Sicily. It’s one of my favorite breakfast treats with espresso on the side.
Outside Southern Italy, ordering a caffe leccese may be hit or miss in terms of bars willing/able to make them, but we know a few spots in Florence who serve them (but typically use almond milk or syrup upon request.)
cold almond milk made in-house at a local bar in Tropea, Calabria
Crema caffè
Not to be confused with crema - the term coined in 1948 by Gaggia to describe the light brown foam on an espresso. A crema caffè is a creamy iced coffee made in a special machine that spins and freezes a milky coffee mixture without ice scales. It’s definitely the fast food of Italian coffee bars. Think a slushie machine, but filled with coffee ice cream. This is served with a sprutz of whipped cream, which means extra calories that we aren’t going to worry about.
Photo: Coral Sisk
Spritz
Anyone who knows me, knows I have a complicated relationship with the Spritz. I generally prefer Select or Cynar, as I find Aperol overwhelmingly sweet and generic in quality. But some find my choices too bitter- so to each their own!
The Italian summer cocktail du jour is originally Venetian, which in the late 1800s was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The world spritz is German for splash, and this name was given to the way Austrian soldiers prepared the Italian wine they were drinking. Lightweights, they’d add a splash (a spritz) of still water before taking a sip. Over time, still water changed to sparkling soda, which changed to prosecco, and eventually, liqueurs such as Aperol were added for good measure.
This summer, I’ve been experimenting with alternatives to the neon orange liqueur. Campari is a no brainer. At 25% Campari is much stronger than Aperol, but not as cloying. Select Aperitivo is another good choice and true to Venice.
It’s full of fresh flowers and herbs on the palate, and delivers a lasting pink grapefruit finish. And finally, Lillet. Lillet is French, not Italian, but the fortified, flavored wine doesn’t reach the bitter or sweet heights of Aperol, making it a good alternative for those us without a sweet tooth.
When it comes to a traditional Spritz in Florence, I like to go to Amble near the Uffizi, Serafini, Dorsoduro 3821, Bulli e Balene just to name a few. See my neighborhood guide to Apertivos in Florence here.
Spuma
The mother of chinotto (see our post on non alcoholic Italian aperitifs) is essentially a Sicilian soft drink flavored with herbs and roots. Drink it on its own as aperitif or as cocktail with dark rum and orange.
Cold brew tonic
Italians are just as susceptible to food trends as the rest of us, so it’s no surprise that the home of coffee has embraced the cold brew tonic. It’s basically cold brew over ice and topped off with high quality tonic water and a slice of orange. If you’re in Florence and craving the fizzy stuff, head to specialty coffee houses like Simbiosi, Ditta Artigianale, Fluid, Coffee Mantra, Caffe’ Piansa, etc. These spots are known for its single origin pulls and a variety of hot and cold treats.
Not an affogato, but a decadent coffee granita in Rome with healthy doses of panna and maritozzi
Affogato al caffè
Is it a dessert or is it a drink? Either way, we love it in summer. In its classic iteration, the affogato starts with a single, tightly packed scoop of hazelnut, stracciatella or fior di latte gelato in a chilled glass or small bowl. The goal is not for the espresso to immediately melt the gelato, but to run down the sides and pool at the bottom, so a chilled glass helps to achieve this.
Top places for this gelato baptized in espresso in Florence is Gelateria de’ Neri or Cafe degli Artigiani. If you find anyone doing granita (Carabe or Ara’ in Florence are superb) get a coffee granita with a bit of almond granita or lemon granita in an iced tea.
