Ammazzacaffè

Ammazzacaffè (lit. 'coffee-killer') is a small glass of liqueur usually consumed after coffee to dull its taste or the caffeine effect. It is a common Italian custom, especially after a generous festive meal.

Ammazzacaffè is the popular Italian assimilation and adaptation of a usage born among aristocratic classes, where it was common to move to a different room to smoke and to serve a cognac or brandy after dinner.

Nowadays, it is still a common custom in Italy, even at lunch, and it is made of bitters or a local liqueur. In some northern zones (Veneto or Trentino regions), people used to rinse out the emptied coffee cup with liqueur (traditionally grappa) that they would then drink (resentin); this also happens in Piedmont, where this custom is called "pusacaffè".