Il Caffè Manaresi: keepers of the Italian Espresso tradition

With this article, we are launching a new section of the website and reinforcing our commitment to bringing you closer to our company. In short, this is the storytelling of our times.

I will try to tell you in a few paragraphs what Il Caffè Manaresi represents and why, personally, I see it as an important company and a great Italian example.

When you think of Italy, among the many aspects of our country, you also think of espresso coffee, or simply espresso, the Italian espresso.

If you're reading this, it's probably because coffee is part of your life and your habits. Whether it's the way you start your day, a moment of pause or sharing with others, or perhaps the way you end a meal, whether simple or formal.

Coffee, a tradition in many countries and cultures

With various traditions and preparation methods, coffee is a drink found in many countries and cultures. For example, just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit, on a road trip, some Balkan countries where coffee is ubiquitous—whether as Italian-style espresso, American contemporary coffee, or traditional drinks like Turkish or Bosnian coffee.

The tradition of coffee before espresso: from Ethiopia, through the Arab world, to Italy

Before the advent of espresso, coffee-related traditions were already deep-rooted and varied around the world. The origin of coffee dates back to ancient Ethiopia, where nomadic tribes chewed coffee berries for their energizing properties.

Coffee then spread to the Arab world, where it became a popular drink due to the preparation method involving boiling ground beans with water and spices, as in Turkish coffee.

In the 1600s, coffee reached Europe and soon became a cultural phenomenon, with the opening of the first coffeehouses in Venice and London. These places were not just refreshment points but also hubs of intellectual exchange and political debate. Coffee preparation varied from region to region, but common methods included the use of the Neapolitan coffee maker in Italy and the drip coffee maker in France.

The invention of espresso, an Italian habit

The invention of espresso marks a turning point in coffee history and represents an icon of Italian innovation.

The espresso machine by Angelo Moriondo (1884)

The first prototype of an espresso machine was patented by Angelo Moriondo in 1884 in Turin, making it possible to obtain more concentrated and aromatic coffee in just a few seconds, thanks to the pressure of water through ground coffee.

Il Caffè de' Ritti by Cavalier Alessandro Manaresi (1898)

It was in these late 19th-century years that the name Manaresi contributed to the rise of espresso culture. In fact, it was 1898 when Cavalier Alessandro Manaresi, founder of our company, with Caffè de' Ritti in Florence, launched a new trend: drinking coffee "ritti," meaning standing up, no longer seated at the table as before, thanks to this new technology that allowed for much faster preparation, hence the term "espresso."

Il Caffè Manaresi, custodians of Italian coffee quality

When I think that, almost 130 years later, Il Caffè Manaresi still produces the three main blends from back then, I get emotional. The blends that we used to call the first, second, and third are now - keeping up with the times - rebranded as Gold (Oro), Brown (Marrone) and Red (Rosso), matching the color of the packaging.

I speak proudly of Il Caffè Manaresi because it embodies an example of entrepreneurship with Italy at its heart, and it has never compromised on the quality of coffee, despite the rise of marketing and the turbulence of the coffee market.

Il Caffè Manaresi, coffee roasters

My name is Fabio, and I have been working with the company for many years to help it update itself and, as they say, step into this millennium. But my connection with Manaresi is not just professional, it's also emotional. The attention to detail, the dedication, and the honesty of the daily work - from selecting and blending coffee beans, to roasting, to manual packaging - represents something rare and precious that always manages to surprise and move me with its simple perfection.