After sunset, in the hours leading up to dinner, you can hear “Prendiamo un aperitivo” all around northern Italy and especially in Milan, which means “Let’s go to aperitivo”. In order to explain the term Aperitivo you have to connect with Italy, the traditions and culture of Italian drinking and food, the light and cheerful spirit of life, and the Martini brand that stretches from the 19th century to the modern era.
In contrast to the Happy Hour, which is used elsewhere in the world and notes discounts and promotions on drinks, the Italian Aperitivo is a pre-meal drink, which literally means opening your appetite and smiling. The Aperitivo events allow connecting with people, and they are used to relax and warm the stomach for dinner. They usually include non-sweet drinks, since the aperitifs are accompanied by small and varied dishes and should be complimented by all. The music is gentle and encouraging conversation; the drinks are light and the dishes salty and small to keep the drinkers appetite for dinner.
The modern age of the apritivo, in fact, exists in every major city or town in Italy and has become a significant and longer social gathering in itself. If in the past the apritivo preceded dinner and depended on it, today many Italian and light drinkers around the world can be seen gathering for an ongoing aperitif. The modern Aperitivo includes dishes of varying sizes but always alongside light drinks that are fun to sip more and more. It is interpreted over a longer period than in the past when it cancels dinner, but with a looser character.
The Martini brand product line, which since 1847 offers richly-flavored Vermouth drinks, is one of the most popular drinks in Aperitivo. The brand’s new global campaign also includes a strong affinity to the modern Aperitivo with a new bottle design, a martini-based cocktail series that are the Aperitivo DNA and a main focus on happiness and interpersonal relationships.
The Aperitivo can be celebrated in the traditional way as an introduction to dinner or in its longer modern form as an event in itself, either way, for a good drink it is just an excuse. Here is an example for one.
Negroni (Negroni):
Ingredients:
25 ml Bombay Sapphire
25 ml Martini Rosso
25 ml Martini Bitter
A strip of orange peel
Preparation method:
Fill the glass with ice, pour all the ingredients into the glass and mix gently until the liquid is cooled. Garnish with orange peel.
