The Italian Aperitivo
Most people know of the Italian aperitivo. An aperitivo (or apéritif) is often described as being similar to the American happy hour, but in reality, it’s much more than that. You don’t get a discount on drinks during aperitivo like you might during an American happy hour. For Italians, aperitivo is a couple of hours, generally between 7pm and 9pm, when they can relax post-work over a glass of wine or Campari and some snacks. For visitors, enjoying an aperitivo is a great way to experience local culture, to people-watch, to unwind with a drink after a long day of sightseeing.
The main reason I love the concept of the aperitivo is the ease in which it brings friends together to unwind after a day’s work. The tradition started in northern Italy, in Milan and Turin and Parma, but it has since spread across Italy: up to mountain towns in the Dolomites, down to Rome and Naples, and everywhere in between.
On our small group journeys (generally an hour or so before dinner), we often encourage our guests to settle at a nice bar that we know offers lovely aperitivi. Not only do we get to enjoy the fruits of theaperitivo, but we also see the wonderful social interaction that comes with ‘aperitivo time’ in Italy.
The Classic Italian Cocktails You Should Try When You Travel To Italy
When it comes to Italian cocktails, there are several good ones. Yes, wine is the foolproof option, but if you want to try something new, order a classic Italian cocktail, preferably during aperitivo. For a lovely thirst quenching non-alcoholic aperitivo you may like to try a Sanbitter, Crodino or even a Chinotto (the genuine Chinotto from the region of Savona on the Italian Riviera if possible).
- Campari: Invented in Italy in the 1800’s and still produced today in Milan, Campari is a bitter made with liquor and infused herbs and fruit. It’s used as the base of many Italian cocktails, such as the Negroni and Americano.
- Aperol: A liquor nearly identical to Campari, Aperol is much less bitter and has a lower alcohol content.
- Spritz – Aperol or Campari, Select in Venice, prosecco, club soda, ice and slice of orange
- Americano– sweet vermouth, Campari, club soda, ice and slice of orange or lemon
- Negroni– gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and orange peel
- Negroni sbagliato – prosecco, sweet vermouth and Campari
- Bellini– prosecco, peach puree
- Hugo– prosecco, soda, elderflower syrup, ice, slice of lime, mint
- A simple glass of red wine, white wine or beer
- Prosecco
- Martini: a vermouth cocktail (made, of course, with alcohol from the Martini & Rossi brand headquartered in Turin, Italy, surely not with an imported brand!)
The Negroni Cocktail
The story goes that back to 1919 when Count Negroni asked a bartender at the Caffe Casoni in Florence to make an Americano cocktail with gin instead of soda water. To this day, a classic Negroni cocktail is equal parts gin, sweet red vermouth, and Campari served on the rocks and garnished with an orange peel.
Aperol Spritz
This red-tinted cocktail also originates from Venice, but don’t be surprised if you see locals sipping their Spritzes in Florence, or even as far south as Capri! It just speaks to the fame of this beloved cocktail, and how easy it goes down… no matter where in Italy (or the world) you are. The most famous version of Spritz? The Aperol Spritz. You can also have a Campari spritz (slighly more bitter and red in color). Both Aperol and Campari are the perfect accompaniment to Prosecco, soda water and orange that round out the Spritz recipe.
But while in Venice my recommendation is to order a Spritz Select, the original Venetian Spritz since 1920. Born in Venice, the Select Spritz is not just a drink, it’s the Venetian lifestyle. Venice has its own traditional aperitivo snacks – cicchetti.
The Hugo Spritz
Spritzes date back to the 19th century in the Veneto region, when Austrians added a splash of sparkling water to lighten their wine drinks. Today there are dozens of variations of spritz cocktails in Italy made with liqueurs including Aperol, Campari and even limoncello. The Hugo Spritz was created in 2005 in South Tyrol, the Alto Adige region in the Alps of Northern Italy, by mixologist Roland Gruber, who combined elderflower syrup (or elderflower liqueur) with Prosecco, sparkling water, fresh mint leaves and a slice of lemon or lime. The name “Hugo” has no particular significance, according to Gruber. He just liked the sound of it. The key ingredient is elderflower syrup, which comes from the elderberry bushes that bloom throughout the Italian Alps in May and June.
The Bellini Cocktail
For something a little lighter and a touch sweeter, give the classic Bellini cocktail a try. Created in the 1940s by bartender Giuseppe Cardini at his famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, the classic Bellini is made by mixing Prosecco with peach puree. A well-made Bellini cocktail is both sweet and satisfying and, since it doesn’t contain any hard alcohol, it’s also a lot easier to drink than many other classic Italian cocktails. But the best ones are always during peach season of course.
What is “Apericena”?
Some bars, especially in Milan (Italy’s aperitivo capital), really offer a wide selection of dishes. You can grab a plate and serve yourself from a selection of pastas, rice salads, panzanella, frittatas, bite-size pizzas, vegetables, snacks, and other delights. Milan is, hands-down, the best place for aperitivo in Italy.
Beer in Italy
While less historically popular than wine, beer is another appropriate alcohol for lunch or dinner. And it’s a must for a cookout or for a pizza night with friends! The famous Italian brands Morena, Moretti and Peroni have been around for a while. Microbrews are becoming trendy, with small, local craft brewers popping up around Italy. (There are now more than 500 breweries nationwide). Italian craft brewers typically use high-quality, local ingredients, applying much of the experience gained from wine-making to their beer brewing. Head to a birrificio and you can be sure that you’re getting a decent local brew!
The Difference Between Aperitivo and Digestivo
Here in Italy we not only enjoy our pre-dinner drinks, but there’s an extra special place in our hearts for after-dinner drinks too. That’s where the digestivo comes in. After all, it’s only natural to want to ‘digest’ that wonderful dinner you’ve eaten. The digestive is usually a herb-based liqueur. Some of the most popular Italian after-dinner drinks are amari (literally ‘bitters’) like Amaro Del Capo, Montenegro, and Braulio (a herbal liqueur from the Valtellina region in Italy). Of course, another popular Italian digestivo is grappa (a grape skin distillate). It’s the perfect use for marc, which is left after grapes have been crushed to make wine. In Italy, nothing goes to waste.
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