When we think drinks in Italy, the first image that comes to mind is likely a bottle of red flowing into glasses around the table—vino is certainly the drink of choice come dinnertime. But let’s not forget about those magical hours before dinner: aperitivo.

From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., bars serve cocktails and light nibbles of olives, cheese, and potato chips, engineered to stimulate the, you guessed it, appetite. And because Italian drinking culture is less about getting buzzed and more about lingering at the table with friends, the cocktails are often a bit lower in alcohol, meaning it's easy to drink down a few.