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If you visit pretty much anywhere in Italy these days, you’ll see locals enjoying an aperitivo, or aper, in the early evening starting around 6pm and lasting until 9 or 10pm. While the exact origins of the aperitivo tradition are disputed, aperitivo is considered to have taken off in Milan in the 1920s and Milan is still considered to be the “capital” of aper. Nowadays it is more typical to find aperitivo in the north of Italy, although I’ve had quite a few in Tuscany as well.

While the word aperitivo – or aperitif in French – means a beverage to have before your meal, in recent years it has evolved to bars/restaurants trying to one-up one another with the assortment of free food, sometimes even a full buffet that is included in the (slightly-higher-than-usual) cost of your drink. Don’t worry, in Italy a “pricey” drink runs about 10 Euros. And some, but not all places will offer a discount for your second drink, the seconda consumazione.

So what does one drink for aperitivo?

Probably the most visually identifiable aperitivo beverage is the spritz, made with prosecco, soda and either Aperol (bright orange) or Campari (red). Both Aperol and Campari, now owned by the same company, are forms of bitters. The idea is that the bitterness of the drink will act as an opener for your stomach, stimulating hunger to get you ready to eat dinner. And aperitivo drinks, like the spritz, typically have low alcohol content.

The negroni is another typical, bitter aperitivo drink made with Campari. The traditional negroni is made with gin, vermouth, and Campari, and is not for the faint of heart! I’ve ordered this a few times, and it usually takes until I’m most of the way through the drink until I can savor the bittnerness and not just have my lips pucker with each sip.

And there is of course the negroni sbagliato (a “wrong” or “mistaken” negroni), that was born of an accidental pouring of prosecco instead of gin at Bar Basso in Milan in 1968.

As for me, I tend to stick with either prosecco, a glass of wine, or the Aperol spritz. For me, the Aperol spritz was an acquired taste, but now I love them – it strikes just the right balance between bitter and aromatic.

 

And what kind of food might be included as part of aperitivo?

In general, beverages are not served without some kind of snack. At the most basic level, when you order a drink at any time of day, it usually arrives with some combination of olives, nuts, and potato chips.

 

For an advertised aperitivo, there is usually a small plate or tray of small bites delivered to the table or a full buffet of food where you can help yourself. Especially for those places offering a food buffet, aperitivo has evolved into an apericena, a blending with cena, the word for dinner.

Apericena describes a buffet that is intended to be a substitute for dinner because there is enough food to call it a meal. This is a quite popular way for students or others struggling to make ends meet in Milan of having a satisfying meal without spending much money.

TIP! Since snack plates or buffet spreads can vary widely, it is always a good idea to take a walk inside to look at the food being offered before committing to stay for an aperitivo, especially if you’re planning on it being your dinner.

What if you don’t live in Italy, and won’t be visiting any time soon?

Don’t worry, an aperitivo can be just as refreshing (and appetite-stimulating) at home. Even though I live in the ‘aperitivo capital’ of Milan, lately I’m much more likely to have at least an aperitivo beverage in the comfort of my apartment. I keep a bottle of prosecco and some Aperol handy, and you can do the same for the ingredients in your aperitivo beverage of choice, so supplies are always on hand to mark the end of the work day and lead into dinner with an aperitivo drink.

And if you live in the US or will be going there soon, the spritz (and its many possible variations) is starting to become trendy and more available. The New York Times gives a good overview of how the spritz is evolving and where you can sample some of the variations stateside.

What are your thoughts on the spritz and negroni? Or do you have another preferred aperitivo drink? And has anyone sampled (or made their own!) spritz variations?