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Ammazzacaffè (Italian: [amˌmattsakafˈfɛ]; lit. 'coffee-killer') is a small glass of liqueur usually consumed after coffee [1] 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".