Americans are a bit obsessed with Italy right now. The viral Negroni Sbagliato trend last summer and the ubiquity of the Aperol Spritz have helped fuel this fire, which means more and more Americans want to drink like they’re relaxing on the Amalfi coast. Right now, that means the demand for spritzes and Negronis is at an all-time high. The most pr...
READ MOREItaly has introduced to the world many wonderfully sumptuous drinks, from Treviso’s prosecco wine, to Giuseppe Cipriani’s Bellini, but perhaps none are as famous, or as aesthetically distinctive, as the Venetian spritz. A concoction of prosecco, soda or water, and a splash of Aperol or Campari liqueur, the flame-coloured aperitif – or aperitivo in...
READ MOREThe aperitivo is practically an institution in Italy. An early evening drink, the aperitivo is supposed to stimulate the appetite before dinner, as compared to the digestivo, a drink supposed to help with digestion after dinner. While this sounds as if Italians use any old excuse to enjoy a nice drink — and why not? — the aperitivo is much more a s...
READ MOREA glowing sea of bright orange and red cocktails has become a common sight in bars and restaurants across Europe and beyond as the Italian-born spritz continues to find new fans. This wine-based cocktail was served as an aperitif in northeast Italy for decades, and drunk with cicchetti (Venetian tapas) across the neighborhood bars of Venice. The mo...
READ MOREMove over, Aperol spritz. The reign of Negroni sbagliato has just begun. The cocktail — made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and sparkling wine instead of the traditional gin — has taken over social media, thanks to a behind-the-scenes interview promoting House of the Dragon on HBO's TikTok account. In the clip, stars Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke — w...
READ MOREEach summer, there seems to be a new "it cocktail." Last year saw the return of the 80s with the espresso martini. This year, the "Dirty Shirley," a vodka-spiked Shirley Temple, is a hot contender for the drink of the season. But my go-to is always the Italian Aperol spritz. The 3-2-1 mix of Aperol, Prosecco and soda is the perfect combination of...
READ MOREAperitivo, the Italian pre-meal drink with appetizers, can be thought of as a heavy happy hour. But as is so often the case with food and drink, Italians have made it an artform. Aperitivo comes from the Latin aperire, which means to open. You're opening your stomach before dining. A spritz, or something including a bitter alcohol, is tradit...
READ MOREItaly has reached out to US bartenders in an attempt to remedy lost alcohol sales caused by the lack of American tourists who have been able to travel to Italy during the pandemic. Many of Italy’s biggest alcohol producers including Aperol and Fernet-Branca have signed up to the Spirits Promotion Project, created by the Italian Trade Agency. Countl...
READ MOREYou know a drink has really made it when Marks & Spencer starts selling it in a can. It was only a matter of time with gin & tonic (‘gin in a tin’), and who hasn’t enjoyed a pre-mixed canned mojito. Now finally, after a substantial online campaign, last month saw the debut of M&S’ Aperitivo Spritzer. Though not licensed to use actual Aperol, nobody...
READ MOREPlenty of things are sparking debates online, and the latest thing is the Aperol Spritz. James Beard Award-nominated Rebekah Pepple snubbed the Prosecco, club soda, Aperol and orange slice concoction in an incendiary New York Times op-ed titled, “The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink.” She slammed the Italian wine-based aperitif, describing it as s...
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