The frappé is traditionally a coffee beverage chilled with ice in some way.
The French word use has been documented from the start of the 19th century. However, it is generally accepted these days that the café frappé is a chilled coffee drink associated with Greek culture and popularized by Nescafé.
This version of the frappé is made with instant coffee (traditionally Nescafe), water, sometimes sugar and shaken over ice in a cocktail shaker. An optional variation is to blend the frappé ingredients in a drink blender. The instant coffee contains next to no oil. This results in a very thick and foamy head on the beverage that can be a little overwhelming. The Greek frappé is therefore usually served with a straw.
Outside of Greece, the word frappé can refer to any chilled coffee drink. These days, coffee free, flavored frappés are also popular. These frappés might be prepared with milk, cream or ice cream as well as with any number of additions and flavorings. The frappé outside of Greece is often spelled without the accent and pronounced with just one syllable, as frap.
The Starbucks Frappuccino has its origins in the frappé. This beverage was likely the reason for the development of the popularity of the frappé outside of Greece.