Liqueurs and Coffee: A Marche-Style Marriage

Along the Fano coastline you’ll come across one of the region’s most distinctive traditions: Fano’s Moretta. Born in the taverns around the harbour—where fishermen sought a hot, energising drink before setting sail or after long hours at sea—this beverage has become a small masterpiece of balance and heritage.

Its secret lies in the blend of rum, aniseed and brandy (or cognac), gently heated with sugar and a twist of lemon to release deep, enveloping aromas. To this, piping-hot coffee is added, completing the preparation and creating the Moretta’s signature three layers: the liqueurs settling at the bottom, the dark coffee in the middle, and a golden crema forming on top. The result is a warm, fragrant drink rich in both flavour and visual appeal.

Moretta is more than a simple caffè corretto: it is a ritual, a small piece of theatre to be watched and savoured slowly. It is no coincidence that since 2006 it has been listed among the official cocktails of the Italian Barmen and Supporters Association (AIBES), and since 2011 it has been recognised as a traditional agri-food product of the Marche.

Today, the Moretta is an icon of Fano. You’ll find it in the bars along the Lido—the town’s most popular beach area—and on the Sassonia seafront, the maritime district overlooking the long stretch of sand south of the harbour. Even in the historic centre, around Piazza XX Settembre and the Arch of Augustus, many cafés still serve it according to the traditional recipe. If your travels bring you to Fano, the Moretta will reveal the city’s truest connection with its sea. 

In Ancona, coffee has always carried the scent of travel. It was here, in 1860, that Ugo Borghetti, owner of the Caffè Sport overlooking the railway station, created a liqueur destined to become a travelling companion for generations. Conceived to give energy to the workers building the Pescara–Ancona railway line, Borghetti coffee liqueur soon won over travellers and curious passers-by who stopped at the lively café, animated by the constant flow of trains.

Its intense flavour—where Italian espresso meets Arabica and Robusta beans, with a gentle alcoholic note—still evokes sudden departures, long-awaited arrivals and suitcases ready on the platform.

Across the Marche, Borghetti is the quick sip that rounds off a meal or the small glass enjoyed during evenings by the sea, from Ancona to the illuminated promenades of Senigallia and Civitanova Marche.

Yet in the Doric city, coffee liqueur has another story to tell: that of Baldoni Coffee Liqueur, produced in Ancona since 1944. Born as a family recipe and refined through slow, artisanal infusions, Baldoni has become part of everyday life in the Marche. It is the natural after-dinner offering, the energising sip that brightens the day—an authentic symbol of local tradition, tasting of home and conviviality.

As you travel down the coastline towards the Fermana Riviera, and especially to San Benedetto del Tronto, coffee takes on a different character and becomes known as caffè del marinaio — the sailor’s coffee. This improvised, practical and robust drink was created to warm and sustain fishermen working long hours out on the open sea.

Originally, there was no set recipe. Each fishing boat had its own way of preparing it, mixing very strong coffee with a splash of liqueur — often aniseed, sometimes rum or brandy — sweetening it with sugar and, when available, adding a twist of lemon for a fresh, aromatic note.

Over time, this on-board tradition made its way ashore. In the restaurants, bars and seafood trattorias of the San Benedetto area, the sailor’s coffee is still served today in its traditional form, a small tribute to the deep bond between the city and its harbour.

Sitting in one of the cafés around the port, perhaps with a view of the Molo Sud, it’s easy to imagine the fishermen who once drank it to keep warm during their nights at sea. 

Alongside the original version, there is also a modern interpretation: a single Marche-based producer now creates a bottled blend called “Il Caffè del Marinaio”, a registered brand that honours the fishermen’s recipe while giving it a distinctive identity of its own.

Heading inland, along roads that rise through woods and valleys with sweeping views of the Sibillini Mountains, coffee meets one of the Marche region’s most authentic symbols: Anice Secco Varnelli.

First produced in 1868 by Girolamo Varnelli, an Apennine herbalist, Varnelli was born from age-old knowledge linked to the medicinal herbs of the mountains. Still today, the Varnelli distillery, based in Muccia and with historical roots in Pievebovigliana (part of the municipality of Valfornace), continues to uphold a production method that has remained unchanged: a careful process that combines natural aromas, slow distillation and a dry, crystal-clear balance that makes it unique in the Italian spirits tradition.

A Varnelli-corrected espresso is a familiar presence in the inns, mountain refuges and cafés of the Macerata hinterland. Just a single splash is enough to transform an espresso into a drier, more aromatic and unmistakable drink. It’s the perfect sip after a walk around Lake Fiastra, after exploring the old town of Camerino, or during a stop in the villages scattered throughout the Sibillini National Park.

More than a simple caffè corretto, coffee with Varnelli is a way of connecting with the mountain soul of the Marche: a flavour that speaks of high-altitude herbs, distillates crafted with artisanal precision and a tradition that has endured for more than 150 years. 

Among the many caffè corretto traditions of the Marche region, Liquore al Caffè Meletti (Meletti coffee liqueur) stands out for its heritage and quality. Produced by the historic Silvio Meletti company—an iconic Ascoli Piceno brand—this liqueur blends the intense aroma of coffee with a bold, velvety character. Its deep brown colour and rich, toasted scent make it instantly recognisable, while the lingering finish recalls high-quality espresso. It’s the perfect choice for those who enjoy a contemporary take on the classic coffee-and-liqueur pairing without straying from tradition.

It is ideal as an after-dinner drink, enjoyed neat or over a single ice cube to bring out its freshness. It also performs beautifully in cocktails and is a delightful addition to cream or vanilla ice cream, adding a subtle aromatic note.

If you’re visiting Ascoli Piceno, we recommend trying it in its most iconic setting: Caffè Meletti, the historic liberty-style café overlooking the magnificent Piazza del Popolo. Considered one of the most elegant squares in Italy, it is a true urban drawing room, framed by travertine porticoes and Renaissance harmony that invite you to slow down and take it all in.

Seated inside the café, among original floors, period mirrors and an atmosphere suspended in time, Meletti coffee liqueur becomes a sensory and cultural experience: a sip that embodies the city’s deep-rooted connection to its distilling tradition and to the art of Marche’s refined, effortless way of life.