A Beginner's Guide to Aperitifs (2024)

FAQs

What are 5 examples of aperitifs? ›

What makes a drink an aperitif? Aperitifs are typically low-ABV liqueurs and spirits that are meant to be drunk before a meal. Within that broad category, you can find vermouth, pastis, sherry, amaro, or even Champagne. Traditionally, an aperitif is meant to stimulate your appetite before eating.

While wine is common, aperitivo hour is the perfect time to try a classic Italian drink, like the bitter Campari or the slightly less bitter Aperol. Both are fantastic mixed with soda, or in a slightly sweeter Spritz (sparkling wine, soda, and Campari or Aperol).

1. NEGRONI. The ingredients of Negroni: Gin Tanqueray, Vermouth Cocchi, Bitter Campari and Angostura. It is the king of co*cktails for the typical Italian aperitif, the most appreciated (and often imitated in the world) for his delicious bitter soul.

An aperitif needs to stimulate the appetite and make your tummy rumble for the food being served. As such, it should really be something very dry - that is, very low in sugar. Sweet drinks will inhibit the appetite and put you off savoury dishes, so anything sticky or sickly is a real 'no' in this respect.

With an alcohol percentage of just 11%, Aperol Spritz is a great choice if you're choosing to moderate your drinking. You could even pair it with a non-alcoholic sparkling wine to keep this popular aperitif super low!

Campari is an aperitif produced by the Italian company Gruppo Campari. An aperitif is a liqueur most often consumed before a meal (versus a digestif, which is generally consumed after a meal for digestion.)

The negroni is an aperitif that has gained worldwide popularity as a drink to stimulate your appetite before a meal. Composed of Gin, Sweet Vermouth, Campari bitters, and an orange slice, traditionally the Negroni is stirred, not shaken, and built over ice in a classic or rocks glass.

Many people like to think of the difference as being similar to the difference between using “happy hour” and “co*cktail hour”; the term changes, but the ritual doesn't. The main difference is where these terms originate. Aperitivo comes from Italy, while the French tend to call it Aperitif.

Some dry and sparkling wines are classified as aperitifs, and champagne and prosecco are popular in this regard, as are rosé wines. Even the martini, a drink of American origin that is popular around the world, is considered an aperitif.

Wine: Wine is a perfectly acceptable and popular aperitivo, especially lighter reds and whites, as well as sparkling Prosecco, Spumante, or Brachetto. The digestivo (after-dinner liqueurs and spirits, including grappa, limoncello, nocino, and amaro) and coffee drinks are the only beverages not served at aperitivo hour.

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Tea is the most popular manufactured drink consumed in the world, with varieties like black tea, green tea, and herbal tea enjoyed in different regions.

Aperitifs co*cktails include the Negroni, Martini, Gin and Tonic, Vodka Tonic, and Aperol Spritz.

While Aperol and Campari have a lot in common — they are Italian aperitifs, a category of bittersweet liqueurs made to be consumed before a meal, and are both owned by the Campari Group — understanding their differences is key to knowing how to use them.

If you're wondering what each is, an aperitif is an alcoholic beverage served before a meal that is meant to make guests hungrier and an appetizer is usually a small dish shared among guests before the meal to soothe those hungry stomachs and maybe even buy a little extra time while you're cooking.

co*cktails: Many classic co*cktails are enjoyed as apéritifs in France, such as the Negroni (made with gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth) and the French 75 (made with gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar). Noilly Prat: A dry vermouth that can be enjoyed on its own or used as an ingredient in co*cktails like the Martini.

Dry Champagne or Sparkling Wine: This is probably the apéritif you're the most familiar with. They can range from sweet to dry. Marsala: This red or white wine can only come from Sicily to be considered a Marsala wine. It has a rich and nutty taste and can be both an apéritif and digestif.