At the end of the meals and after the dessert (and not with it), Italians drink coffee, either a caffè espresso (or simply caffè), or a caffè corretto, which is an espresso with a shot of liquor. Italians don’t use half and half in their coffee. Some Italians take the digestivo (digestive liquor) or amaro to help their stomach deal with such a large amount of food it has to work on.

The digestivo (served in small, two-inch-tall glasses) is a bitter liquor made of herbs. In many restaurants, especially in northern Italy, people also drink grappa, which is a very strong liquor made from grape skins (see above).