The most anticipated hour of each day on our Italy tours is the aperitivo hour. The aperitivo is a popular Italian pre-dinner ritual of enjoying light drinks and appetizers while socializing with friends and family. In the early evening, Italians will gather at a bar to enjoy prosecco, wine or cocktails, accompanied by snacks like olives, cheese, chips and various small bites. Beyond its gastronomic role to whet the appetite, the aperitivo is a moment for relaxation and socialization, encouraging people to unwind before the main meal. This social custom has spread beyond Italy, with many cultures adopting their own variations of “cocktail hour” with drinks, food, and good conversation. One of the crucial elements of Italy’s dolce vita!
Italy produces a huge array of alcoholic liqueurs designed to create unique cocktails for the aperitivo. Many of these have a bitter flavor, which Italians love. Probably the best known outside of Italy is Campari. Campari is a potable bitter, a drinkable bitter as opposed to aromatic bitters such as Angostura. This iconic Italian aperitif dates back to 1860 when Gaspare Campari, a bartender from Novara, Italy, first concocted this vibrant red elixir by infusing a base of alcohol and water with a proprietary mix of herbs and fruits, including rhubarb, orange, and a type of sour orange known as chinotto. The bitter infusion is then sweetened with sugar in the form of simple syrup and stiffened with alcohol according to its eventual destination: 24% for the US, 25% for Italians.
Campari gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming a staple in Italian cafes and bars. The brand’s signature cocktail, the Negroni, further solidified its status around the world. Over the years, Campari has evolved into a global brand, with its distinctive taste and bold marketing campaigns ensuring its enduring presence in the ever-expanding world of spirits and cocktails.
One variation of Negroni that I’ve recently developed a liking for is a Sbagliato, which I think of as a cross between a Negroni and a Spritz. According to Marisa Huff, in her book Aperitivo, the Sbagliato was born when the owner of Milan’s Bar Basso reached for the gin while making a Negroni and came up with sparkling wine. After scolding the bar back for mixing up the bottles, he tasted the mistaken cocktail only to discover he’d come up with a simple, super-drinkable twist on a classic: the Negroni Sbagliato (sbagliato is Italian for “mistaken”).
Negroni Sbagliato
2 ounces Campari
2 ounces sweet vermouth
2 ounces prosecco
Orange slice
Fill a rocks glass with 3 or 4 ice cubes. Add the Campari and vermouth, then stir with a bar spoon. Top with the sparkling wine and stir again. Garnish with an orange slice.
