Like pizza and ice cream, the coffee bar is sacred in Italy. Today the whole world seems to be drinking Italian style coffee, though often in very different ways from the Italians themselves! Espresso, caffè macchiato, cappuccino; sometimes it seems that there are as many types of coffee in Italy as there are pastas! And just like pasta, Italian coffee is an art form with many customs and traditions. Whether it’s a caffè corretto thrown back like a shot, a cappuccino e brioche for breakfast, or a caffè shakerato to cool off in the hot summer, Italy has a specific coffee drink for every time and mood.
Thanks to big companies such as Starbucks and Costa the world has become a culture of Italian-style coffee drinkers, however what other cultures haven’t done is adopt Italian coffee habits.
Italians generally don’t drink coffee with any food except at breakfast and it is often ordered after a meal to end their long banquet. For that matter Italians think it very strange to drink a cappuccino after lunch or it’s verging on insane to adulterate a coffee with honey and cinnamon. Italians usually don’t have rules for anything except food and coffee, in fact, ordering a cappuccino after lunch or dinner will arouse at least some suspicion, some barman might ask you a couple of times if you are really sure or even refuse to serve it. Where, when and how to drink coffee is a cultural habit that probably has a connection with what Italians call the Mediterranean Diet.
If you would like to start a heated discussion in Italy ask a group of friends how to make a perfect cup of espresso and you’ll be in the middle of a passionate conversation that could last for hours. Italians arguing about how to make a perfect cup will also debate various factors such as bean type, blade vs. burr grinders, tamp pressure, water temperature, humidity and what temperature a cup should be before pouring the coffee. Coffee drinkers not only have their favourite local torrefazione (coffee house), but also prefer certain barmen because of their ability to deliver a perfect caffè espresso.
It is certain that an Italian cup of coffee is art.

Coolgraphic has done an event to present the Coffee Collection: coffee wall art on canvas in the spirit of the 60’s style created to humour the many ways Italians drink coffee.
The artist plays on the edge of modern graphic and retro style to illustrate the Italian culture and the art of drinking coffee. Despite the fact that it could present itself as a prefect “Italian job”, the idea was born entirely in British taste to hang Italian coffee illustrations on the kitchen wall.

Sometime be an illustrator and graphic designer  means  working for other illustrators. This project has been a very nice experience that it is leading me now to create a book about the battle of Bannockburn, illustrations by Marco Trecalli. The big banner I have with a young William Wallace designerd by Trecalli,  has been printed for the Exhibition at Stirling Art Museum.

I am glad to say that students like my coffees canvases. The full Coffee Collection is being displayed at the Costa Cafe at Edinburgh University. If you are in Edinburgh for the Festival, visit the Teviot, Bristo square, you can enjoy the exhibition! To see the full collection of my canvases go to Coffee Collection on Coolgraphic website

Pizza margherita turns 120! This 9th June is the 120TH ANNIVERSARY of the Pizza Margherita. Bella Napoli Restaurant in Glasgow is organizing a party for the event. Coolgraphic will be part at the event to show the huge canvases that have been created for the Restaurant

Stop anyone in the street and ask them for the first Italian word that comes to mind and probably they will say ‘Pizza’, Spaghetti or Cappuccino.
Pizza has been one of Italy’s biggest exports and a dish that every Italian should be proud of.
The most popular pizza is the Margherita.
Ever wondered were the name comes from?

In 1889 pizza chef Raffaele Esposito from Naples was asked by Queen Margherita to present some pizzas for her to try.

Three pizzas were presented to her majesty:
1. Pizza alla Mastunicola-a pizza base with pork lard ,cheese and fresh basil leaves. This was a classic of the time dating back to 1600.
2. Pizza alla Marinara-tomato ,garlic .olive oil and oregano
3. Pizza Margherita-tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil.

The choice of toppings was new and stylish for the period, but more importantly the colours on the pizza symbolized the red, white and green of the Italian flag that was the pride of a newly united Italy.
Pizza in those days was a regional dish enjoyed by the peasants of Naples. The Queens approval elevated this peasant dish to new hights. Pizza became popular amongst all the classes and more importantly it became a dish adopted throughout Italy’s many culinary regions.
Italian immigrants would make themselves pizza in their new homes abroad and eventually sold the pizzas ….The rest is history and of great cultural significance.