A coffee corrected with grappa.
cor-RET-to — three syllables, double 't', stress on second syllable.
In the morning (particularly in northern Italy) or after a meal as a warming digestive. The espresso is 'corrected' with a shot of spirit.
'Corretto' means 'corrected'. The espresso is 'corrected' with a small amount of alcohol. Grappa is the most common, but you can also request 'corretto al rum', 'corretto alla sambuca', or 'corretto al whisky'. Popular with older Italian men in the north, especially on cold mornings.
Un caffè corretto alla sambuca.
A coffee corrected with sambuca.
Sambuca is an anise-flavoured liqueur — very popular in central Italy
Un caffè corretto al rum.
A coffee corrected with rum.
Dark rum in espresso — warming and popular in Veneto and Friuli
Metta un goccio di grappa.
Put in a drop of grappa.
Alternative phrasing — 'goccio' (drop) emphasises a modest amount
The 'caffè corretto' is a distinctly Italian working-class morning tradition, particularly in the north. Farmers, construction workers, and fishermen have historically started the day this way. It is now drunk at any time but carries connotations of cold, early mornings and honest labour.