The Frappé recipe
for your table
Put two teaspoons of instant coffee and two teaspoons of sugar in a tall cup and add 3 cl cold water. Warm water won’t work, as you won’t get any foam.
Whip the mixture with a hand blender, a frappé mixer, or a shaker. With a mixer, a thick beige foam forms in twenty to thirty seconds; in a shaker, shake vigorously for about half a minute.
Fill the tall glass halfway with ice cubes and spoon the foam on top.
Slowly top up with about 15 cl cold water or cold milk along the side of the glass, so the foam stays on top, and add a straw.
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The story
The frappé belongs to Greece just as espresso belongs to Italy. It originated at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, where an employee of a coffee brand had no hot water available and therefore shook instant coffee with cold water in a shaker. The idea caught on, and the frappé became the standard drink on a warm terrace throughout Greece. You order it by sweetness: sketos without sugar, metrios with a little, and glykos sweet. Then you indicate whether you want milk, me gala, or not, horis gala.
The right glass
A frappé goes in a tall, straight glass of around 35 to 45 cl. Tall because the foam and ice together take up a lot of space, and straight so you can see the layers: ice at the bottom, coffee in the middle, and the beige foam on top. Thick-walled glass is ideal, as the glass will be filled with ice. You can use the same glasses for a latte macchiato; also take a look at the coffee glasses.
La Rochère Ouessant Latte Macchiato Glass 43 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco Oxford Long Drink Glass 39.5 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 59,90.
The right tools
For a frappé, besides the glass, you use a shaker or a hand blender to whip the foam, and glass straws for the tall glass. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets collection.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 65,85.
Which splash belongs in a frappé?
A frappé is alcohol-free: instant coffee, sugar, water, and ice. To turn it into an evening version, add a splash of liqueur, usually Kahlúa or Baileys. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
With milk instead of water, it is called me gala and becomes fuller and lighter in color. Replace regular sugar with vanilla sugar for a sweeter drink, or stir in half a teaspoon of cocoa for a mocha version. If you want firmer foam, keep the foaming water at 3 cl and use an extra teaspoon of coffee. Note that a freddo espresso is different: it is made with espresso and gets its foam from a mixer. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Chill the glass and the water beforehand and only top it up once the foam is already in the glass, otherwise it will break down. Serve with a straw, because you drink the coffee from underneath the foam. A small glass of cold water on the side is customary.
Good to know
The three levels of sweetness: sketos, metrios and glykos
You order a frappé by sweetness. Sketos is without sugar, metrios has about as much sugar as coffee, so two teaspoons of coffee to two teaspoons of sugar, and glykos has twice as much sugar as coffee. Add the sugar before frothing, not afterward, because it helps the foam become firm. If you want milk, ask for me gala; without milk, it is horis gala.
Why instant coffee?
Instant coffee is dried coffee extract and dissolves in cold water without leaving any grounds behind. Whisking beats air into that syrupy coffee solution, and the air stays suspended in a thick beige head that lasts for minutes. Ground coffee and espresso do not dissolve in the same way and do not produce that foam; at most, you get a thin layer of crema that quickly disappears.
Stick blender or shaker?
A stick blender or a special frappé mixer is the fastest: the foam is ready in twenty to thirty seconds. A shaker works too and produces slightly coarser foam; shake vigorously for about half a minute with only the coffee, sugar and the small amount of water, without ice. Ice in the shaker dilutes the mixture and breaks down the foam.
Frappé in Italy and France
The word frappé simply means chilled in French. In Italy and France, frappé therefore usually refers to a blended iced drink: milk, ice and syrup or fruit blended together, thick and cold, closer to a milkshake than to coffee. Greek frappé is different: no blender is involved, and its thickness comes from the foam, not crushed ice.
With or without milk
Without milk, horis gala, the frappé is darker and sharper in taste. With a splash of cold milk, me gala, it becomes lighter in color and smoother. Add the milk only after the foam is in the glass; if you whip the milk in, the foam becomes looser.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a frappé and iced coffee?
A frappé is a specific Greek iced coffee made with instant coffee, which you froth with a little cold water and then pour over ice. Iced coffee is the general term: it can also be cold espresso with milk or regular coffee poured over ice cubes. The foam and instant coffee are what give the frappé its distinct place.
Can I make a frappé with espresso?
Not if you want a Greek frappé. Espresso does not dissolve like instant coffee and therefore does not produce a thick layer of foam. You can make a freddo espresso with espresso: espresso and sugar whipped cold in a mixer and then poured over ice. That is a different drink with a different taste.
How much instant coffee goes into a frappé?
Two teaspoons per glass of about 35 cl is the usual amount. One teaspoon makes a light frappé, while three teaspoons make a strong one. Keep the amount of foam water small, about 3 cl, because the foam becomes thickest in a small amount of water.
Why does my foam collapse immediately?
This is usually caused by warm water or by using too much water when frothing. Use cold water and no more than 3 cl, and only top it up after the foam is in the glass. Pour the extra water slowly down the side of the glass instead of into the middle.
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