There's a moment in the late afternoon that is sacred in Italy. Work pauses, the sun is low, and somewhere – on a piazza, a rooftop terrace, a shaded bar – the first glass of the evening appears. The aperitivo isn't a marketing invention. It's culture. Ritual. A way of life.
And it has a language: that of classic drinks that have stood on the same tables for decades, served in the same glasses, marking the same moment – the transition from day to evening. We introduce you to the five great classics. With history, recipe, and everything you need to know to make them just as well at home.
1. Aperol Spritz – the most famous Italian in the world
No drink is as iconic, polarizing, and unstoppable as the Aperol Spritz. In Italy, it's sometimes playfully dismissed as a "tourist" drink – and yet it's found at almost every bar, from Venice to Palermo. The reason is simple: It works. Always.
What few people know: Aperol was invented in Padua in 1919 and was originally a digestif. The Spritz – meaning topped with Prosecco – is a Venetian tradition dating back to the Austrian occupation. The Austrians found the local wine too heavy and diluted it with water. The Venetians improved the recipe. With Aperol. The story of good taste.
The recipe:
3 parts Prosecco · 2 parts Aperol · 1 dash of soda water · Orange slice · plenty of ice
Serve in a wine glass. Prosecco first, then Aperol, then soda. Never the other way around – that dulls the color.
Insider tip: If you prefer it less sweet, replace Aperol with Campari. More bitter, more complex, more mature. That's technically a Campari Spritz – and, if we're honest, it's the better drink.
2. Negroni – the king of aperitivo
If the Aperol Spritz is the friendly neighbor, then the Negroni is the landlord. Confident, complex, uncompromising. The Negroni isn't for everyone – but once you truly understand it, you'll rarely drink anything else.
The story: 1919, Florence, Caffè Casoni. Count Camillo Negroni – a notorious adventurer who, among other things, had worked as a cowboy in America – ordered his usual Americano, but asked the bartender to replace the soda water with gin. The bartender, a certain Fosco Scarselli, garnished the new drink with an orange slice instead of the usual lemon. A drink, a legend.
The recipe:
1 part Gin · 1 part Campari · 1 part sweet red vermouth · Orange zest
Stir all ingredients with plenty of ice – do not shake, as this will make the drink cloudy. Pour into an old fashioned glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange zest, which you briefly squeeze over the glass to release the essential oils.
Insider tip: The Negroni Sbagliato – "the mistaken Negroni" – replaces the gin with Prosecco. Lighter, fizzier, perfect for warm summer days. And currently very trendy again due to a viral moment on social media.
3. Campari Spritz – the underrated sibling
The Campari Spritz lives in the shadow of its orange-colored sibling – and unfairly so. Campari has a more intense bitterness, a deeper color, and a complexity that makes Aperol Spritz seem like children's punch. In Milan – where Campari was invented in 1860 – the Campari Spritz is the gold standard.
Campari was invented by Gaspare Campari in his bar in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the most beautiful shopping arcade in the world. The red color, which has been speculated about for decades, is now a well-kept secret. What creates it? That's not revealed.
The recipe:
3 parts Prosecco · 2 parts Campari · 1 dash of soda water · Orange slice · Ice
Preparation is identical to the Aperol Spritz – but the taste difference is enormous. Anyone who tries both side-by-side immediately understands why Milan prefers Campari.
4. Hugo – the newcomer from the North
The Hugo is the youngest of the classic aperitivo drinks – and the only one not from the South. Roland Gruber, a bartender from Naturns in South Tyrol, invented it in 2005. What started as a local specialty has spread throughout Italy and large parts of Europe over the last twenty years.
The Hugo is lighter, more floral, and more aromatic than its bitter siblings – ideal for anyone who loves aperitivo but dislikes bitterness. With elderflower syrup, mint, and lime, it's almost a pure summer drink.
The recipe:
Prosecco · 2 cl elderflower syrup · Dash of soda water · 2 slices of lime · Fresh mint leaves · Ice
Lightly muddle the mint and lime, add ice, elderflower syrup, Prosecco, and soda. Serve in a large wine glass. The Hugo is the drink you order on a terrace in Merano – and it immediately makes you feel like you're in the right place.
5. Limoncello Spritz – summer in a glass
Anyone who has ever sat on the Amalfi Coast and drunk an ice-cold Limoncello understands why lemons are considered currency there. The Limoncello Spritz is the sparkling, slightly lighter version of the classic – and it might be the most summery drink there is.
Real Limoncello is made from the peels of lemons from Sorrento, Amalfi, or Sicily – not from the juice, but from the peel, which contains the essential oils. The result is intense, lemony, and incredibly aromatic. Combined with Prosecco and a hint of soda water, it creates a drink that tastes like summer.
The recipe:
2 parts Prosecco · 1 part Limoncello (well chilled) · Dash of soda water · Lemon slice · Mint · Ice
Limoncello must be ice-cold – preferably straight from the freezer. Add Prosecco, lightly top with soda, garnish with lemon and mint. If you like, add a teaspoon of elderflower syrup – it wonderfully combines the flavors.
Fancy making Limoncello yourself? It's easier than you think – and the result is incomparably better than anything from the supermarket. Here's a recipe suggestion.
The perfect aperitivo at home – what's included
A good aperitivo is more than just the drink. It's the little things around it: some good olives, nuts, maybe a piece of Pecorino or a small bruschetta. No elaborate cooking – that's precisely the beauty of it. The aperitivo is deliberately modest in food and generous in enjoyment.
And of course: the right outfit. Because the aperitivo doesn't begin with the first sip, but with the moment you get dressed. We've described what makes up the perfect aperitivo outfit in detail in our Aperitivo Outfit Guide.
To the most beautiful moment of the day. Salute.
