Italy is the homeland of the aperitif: hanging out with friends whilst sipping a nice cocktail and tasting finger food is an all-Italian tradition, and just as Italian are the most popular Italian aperitif drinks.
The custom of having an alcoholic drink before dinner was already a thing in Ancient Rome to whet the appetite, what we know today as aperitif, however, was born officially in Turin in 1786. Antonio Benedetto Carpano created a liquor conceived to be drunk before having dinner: it is Vermouth, which is still a staple among many popular drink recipes.
