A black coffee, intense and bitter, prepared according to the composer's obsessive ritual: counted beans, ground to order, and steeped strong to awaken the mind before work.

Why this dish? Beethoven counted, it is said, exactly sixty coffee beans for each cup, which he ground himself. This meticulous morning ritual, in a man otherwise so disorderly, is one of the most famous and best-attested anecdotes about his daily life.

Sixty grains — not one more, not one less! They think me mad, but this is how it is: I count them one by one before grinding them, and woe to anyone who dares serve me anything else. This coffee is my first companion of the day, more faithful than many men. Drink it black and strong, my friend, as it must be — a mind that wants to create does not quench its thirst with lukewarm water.

How it was made : Vienna in the early 19th century was one of Europe's great coffee capitals, heir to the coffeehouse culture that had flourished since the 17th century. Coffee was roasted and ground at home, and every enthusiast had their quirks. Beethoven's — exactly sixty grains — became legendary.

The contemporary twist : Serve the coffee in a small cup accompanied by a miniature score and sixty beans presented alongside, as a nod to the Master's ritual.

Ludwig van Beethoven · Charactorium