Coffee Classics: Greek Frappé (Greece)

The Greek Frappé was born not in a grand café, but at a bustling trade fair in Thessaloniki in 1957. A Nescafé representative, unable to find hot water during a break, shook instant coffee with cold water in a shaker — creating a drink that accidentally captured the soul of Greek summers.

What emerged was a tall glass crowned with impossibly thick foam, cool enough to cut through the Mediterranean heat and casual enough to match the rhythm of seaside life. Soon, the frappé became the national soundtrack: glasses clinking against marble tables, spoons tapping ice, laughter carrying over sunlit terraces.

To drink a frappé is to slow down.
To sit in the shade.
To let the day unfold with the unhurried elegance of a Greek afternoon.

Ingredients

• 1–2 teaspoons instant coffee

• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

• 30–50 ml cold water for shaking

• Ice

• Cold water or milk to top up

Equipment Needed

• Shaker or tightly lidded jar

• Tall glass

• Spoon

• Straw (optional)

Method

1. Add instant coffee, sugar (if using), and a splash of cold water to a shaker.

2. Shake vigorously until a thick, stable foam forms.

3. Pour the foam into a tall glass filled with ice.

4. Top up with cold water or milk, depending on preference.

5. Stir gently to combine.

Notes

• The foam should be dense and long-lasting — the hallmark of a proper frappé.

• Variations include:
  • Metrios (medium sugar)
  • Glykos (sweet)
  • Me gala (with milk)

• Best enjoyed outdoors, ideally with sea breeze and sunlight.