Italian co*cktails: 15 Drinks Recipes Inspired by Italy (2024)

FAQs

What is Italy's most famous co*cktail? ›

1. Negroni. Created by Count Camillo at Caffè Casoni in 1919, the bittersweet Negroni is now one of the most popular Italian co*cktails! Inspired by his recent trips to London, Count Camillo quickly concluded that his regular drink, the Americano, just wasn't strong enough.

Summer Spritz

The original spritz comes from Veneto in Italy, where Prosecco was also born. It's believed that the drink originated during the 1800s when Austrians visiting Italy would dilute Italian wines with a 'spritz' ('splash' in German) of soda water, to make it more to their taste.

The Bellini is adored across the world for its succulent fruity flavour and soft-pink radiance. Born in the renowned Harry's Bar of Venice, the Bellini's vision derived from the city's trademarks.

Italy might be famous for their co*cktails such as the classic Spritz, Campari aperitivo, and various digestifs, they also sell a wide variety of pleasantly refreshing non alcoholic Italian drinks as well. The most popular are chinotto, lemonsoda, Spuma and limonata.

In Italy, it's very common to have an aperitivo a couple of hours before dinner in the evening. This is a time where friends or family get together for a catchup with a glass of something refreshing and a few nibbles to stimulate their appetite before the main meal.

Disaronno Originale is the world's favourite Italian liqueur. Featuring an original taste and an unmistakable aroma Disaronno Originale is a stylish and timeless icon of the Italian Dolcevita. Disaronno is a pleasure to enjoy on the rocks as well as in its various mixed drinks.

Traditionally, limoncello is made from the zest of Femminello St. Teresa lemons, also known as Sorrento or Sfusato lemons. Lemon zest, or peels without the pith, is steeped in rectified spirit until the oil is released. The resulting yellow liquid is then mixed with simple syrup.

Campari: The Iconic Red Italian Bitter.

As well as wine. It is perfectly legal to drink on beaches in Italy, so order a bottle of bubbly Prosecco to sip on while sunning and then another of the local white with lunch. Most private beaches have a caffè that offer drinks, co*cktails and snacks.

SPRITZ is the classic Venetian aperitif, it's a mix of white wine, Aperol (sweeter) or Bitter Campari and Select (bitterer) and a squirt of seltz or Sparkling mineral water.

What is the best local drink in Venice Italy? ›

Wine from the Veneto region, together with local specialties such as spritz, grappa and Prosecco are the Venetian mainstays. You'll find Italian red bitter liqueurs such as Aperol, Camari and Select feature heavily in every bar.

Legend has it that the drink's characteristic sunset shade reminded the bartender of the strikingly chromatic paintings by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovani Bellini, hence the name. Thanks to Cipriani's international regulars, word of the refreshing drink quickly spread to New York, Paris, and beyond.

Negroni is made from one part of gin, one part of Campari, and one part of red Vermouth, and garnished with a slice of orange. This famous Italian beverage is now one of the most common co*cktails in the world. The Negroni family set up a distillery that still makes a readily mixed version called the Antico Negroni.

Although Aperol is seemingly everywhere now, Campari is arguably Italy's most popular aperitivo liqueur. This bitter red Italian liqueur works just as well with a splash of soda as it does in some of Italy's most famous co*cktails – from the Americano to the Negroni.

Alcoholic drinks can range from a glass of wine (most often white or rosé in the summer and red in the winter), to Italian classics such as Aperol Spritz, Negroni or Bellini. You can also opt for simple aperitivi bitters such as Sanbitter.

Often described as an Italian sunset in a glass, the Aperol Spritz originated in the city of Padua and has become one of the most famous co*cktails from Italy. The Aperol liqueur became a beloved apéritif in Padua and out of its rising popularity the Aperol Spritz was born during the chic 1950s in Northern Italy.

Popular Roman co*cktails include the Negroni: gin, Campari and red vermouth; the Negroni Sbagliato: prosecco, Campari, and red vermouth; and the Campari Soda. Many bars will have a list of original proprietary co*cktails for you to try as well.

Aperol is a botanical liqueur that's been made in Italy for over a hundred years. The bright orange beverage was invented by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri in 1919 in Padua, Italy. It's technically considered a type of amaro, which is categorized by its bitterness (the word amaro itself translates to bitter).

Over time, Italians began to serve amari after meals; it was thought that the bitter taste cued the body to accelerate digestion. And thus, the delicious Italian digestivo tradition was born.