Photo: Contiki
Let’s take a little Italian thought vacation. Imagine your next adventure to Italy. The sun is warm, you’re sitting in a piazza that is older than the modern history of your home country, and you’re having an absolutely blissful afternoon. There’s a drink in your hand. What is it?
If it’s an Aperol Spritz, we’re going to find you a new one for your next tour of Italy.
Italy is a country known for its rich culture and gastronomy. And it doesn’t just stop there. While the Aperol Spritz and Negroni Sbagliato have become synonymous with Italian aperitivo culture (thanks, Instagram), there are so many other delicious and lesser-known cocktails waiting to be discovered.
Hugo Spritz
I get it, the Aperol Spritz is beautiful. Who can resist that vibrant, photographable glass? But if you don’t like bitter drinks, let me introduce you to the Hugo, an effervescent spritz made with elderflower syrup or cordial, gin, prosecco, and soda. This refreshing, crystalline beverage is served in a stemmed universal wine glass and garnished with mint leaves and a slice or two of lime.
Though born as an appetite-awakening aperitif in Northern Italy (the land of prosecco), the zesty Hugo Spritz has blossomed into the quintessential summer evening sipper, thanks to its light and invigorating flavor profile. You’ll find it at any Italian bar or restaurant, and more upscale establishments will make it with elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain, which recommends exactly eight mint leaves to create the perfect Hugo.
Cyanar Spritz
Spritzes of all kinds are abundant in Italy. The Cynar spritz is a refreshing and flavorful cocktail that is perfect for sizzling Tyrrhenian summers. This drink is made with Cynar, an aperitif blend of 13 herbs and plants, prosecco, and soda water. It has a complex taste which is more on the bitter side that delivers both a refreshing and satisfying flavor. Garnished with an olive or a citrus slice, this spritz is a unique way to enjoy the herbaceous flavor of Cynar.
Milano-Torino
The Milano Torino, aka the Mi-To, is a quintessential Italian aperitivo that has time traveled from Northern Italy’s 19th century. As a simple, elegant blend of equal parts Milanese bitters and Turin red vermouth and served over ice with an orange slice, this underrated classic cocktail, is a testament to the enduring popularity of these two iconic ingredients and two quintessentially Italian cities. Its straightforward recipe, made directly in an Old Fashioned glass, has not only established the Mi-To as a beloved aperitif in its own right but also served as the foundation for other celebrated cocktails like the Negroni and the Americano, solidifying its place in the pantheon of Italian drinking traditions.
Negronino
While the Milano-Torino is the starting point for many other beloved Italian cocktails, including the Negoni, Negroni Sbagliato, Americano, Negroski, and Boulevardier, the Negroni has also inspired its fair share of variations.
The Negronino is a take on the Negroni, a classic cocktail that has been enjoyed since its inception in Florence in the 1920s. It is made with Campari, Gin, red vermouth, and Amaro Nonino and decorated with a pink grapefruit twist.
Il Cardinale
Continuing along the Negroni family tree, we have Il Cardinale. Legend says that the Cardinale was first served for a visiting Catholic cardinal in Rome in 1950. The original drink included dry Moselle wine. Today, the drink has evolved to be equal parts gin, Campari, and dry vermouth, stirred and served over ice with an orange wheel.
Stazione
The Stazione, a cocktail whose name translates to “railway station” in Italian, is a potent and herbal digestif that marries the robust bitterness of Fernet Branca, bitters concocted in Milan, with the anise-tinged sweetness of Strega and the comforting warmth of sweet vermouth, coming together to create a complex flavor profile. It’s served in a delicate Nick and Nora glass and finished with a fragrant orange twist.
Averna Limonata
If you’ll be living La Dolce Vita in spectacular Sicily this summer, you need to know about the Averna Limonata. Amaro Averna, whose aromatic recipe was crafted in the 1800s by the Benedictine monks of Abbazia Di Santo Spirito, is a staple in every Sicilian home.
Order this at the seaside and you’ll be served a highball filled to the frosted brim with Averna, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water, garnished with mint, rosemary, sage or other in-season herbs. Like all Italian aperitivos, it’s bittersweet, orangey-amber in color, and entirely appetizing.
Caffè Tonic
Before saying buonanotte to your Italian escape, get your hands on ammazzacaffè. Consumed after the meal as a digestif, a caffe tonic is all about the layers. After the hot Mediterranean sun has worn you out, enjoy a large glass filled with crystal ice and a good tonic, and topped with a fruity yet acidic espresso shot that seems to hang endlessly at the very top of the cocktail.
Looking for a variation? You may find it made with cold brew and Italicus or Averna.
Caffè Corretto
Caffè corretto, or literally “corrected coffee,” is a beloved Italian staple that elevates the simple Italian espresso with a splash of liquor, most commonly grappa, sambuca, or brandy. Ordered as un caffè corretto alla grappa (or the desired spirit), offers the drinker a warm, invigorating kick. While often prepared by adding alcohol directly into the espresso, some establishments serve the liquor separately, allowing patrons to “correct” their coffee to their liking. The very word corretto reflects the act of finetuning the coffee, a testament to the Italian palate that appreciates both coffee and fine spirits.
Livorno Punch
Italians love espresso, right? Turns out, they’ve been loving it for a very, very long time. Ponce alla Livornese, or Livorno Punch changes out the traditional tea for espresso, delivering a right hook to the taste buds that will make you wonder if it’s a new fad alongside the Espresso Martini. Al contrario, mio fratello.
Originating in 17th-century Livorno, a Tuscan port bustling with English sailors, the 400-year-old ponce reflects the times. English traders, far from home, had a fondness for punch, which evolved into a distinct Livornese blend of espresso, sugar, lemon peel, and rumme, a spiced rum substitute. Despite its historical significance, this unique drink is now rarely found in Livorno’s bars.
