How to enjoy an Italian aperitivo at home with authentic cocktail recipes

What word conjures up Italian summer evenings better than aperitivo? What started as a pre-dinner drink to “open the appetite” (aprire in Italian means “to open”) has become one of the most important social rituals in Italy. From about 7pm to 9pm, as offices begin to empty, Italian bars fill up with people still in their trendy work attire, elegant pant suits for the ladies, clean lines accessorised with smart loafers for the gents – a stark contrast to Britain’s uber relaxed pub attire.
The modern motives for aperitivo are many: celebrating birthdays or promotions with loved ones or colleagues, to see and be seen in a glamorous setting, but mostly just meeting up with your pals for an after-work catchup over a negroni or two. Whoever it’s with, the social aspect of aperitivo is vital. Oh, and food. Most bars in Italy will serve abundant free food (can you imagine that in Britain?), which has given rise to the Italian concept of apericena (a combination of the words aperitivo and cena, the Italian word for dinner), where you fill up on lots of snacks and skip dinner altogether.
What’s on the menu varies as much as the location. In Turin, it could be grissins (crispy breadsticks) – with cold cuts under the colonnades of Via Roma; in Milan, mondeghili (succulent meatballs), while watching the shadows spread over the Piazza del Duomo.
The aperitivo itself wouldn’t exist without vermouth – a fortified wine, packed with appetite-stimulating botanicals chosen to induce hunger, such as cinnamon, orange peel, chamomile and, most importantly, wormwood. And vermouth wouldn’t exist without Turin. It was there, in 1786, that the herbalist Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented the drink, by combining muscatel with herbs and spices. It’s said that upon trying the concoction – which Carpano named “vermouth”, from the German word for wormwood – the Sardinian king Vittorio Amedeo III immediately made it an official drink of the royal household.
Vermouth soon insinuated itself into the city’s vibrant cafe culture and well-to-do patrons took up the drink – and some nibbles – with gusto. During Turin’s 19th-century stint as capital of a unified Italy, the practice spread far and wide. Fast forward 200 years and Carpano became an Italian household name, vermouth having been adopted as a national drink and used as the basis for many cocktails. In 2001, the Carpano name was acquired by another Italian legend, the Milanese Fratelli Branca, which has proudly kept the Carpano name going with a line of vermouths and bitters – Antica Formula, Carpano Bitter, Carpano Bianco and Punt e Mes – that stay true to the authentic Carpano recipes.
So if you’re in search of a bit of la dolce vita this summer, what better way is there than to get your glad rags on, fill your balcony with friends, and let your hair down, Italian style, by serving classic cocktails with the Carpano range? Turn it into an apericena with food, and make your guests believe they are under the Tuscan sun …
Summer serves for your own aperitivo:
The negroni is a cocktail with its roots in the 1920s, supposedly named after an Italian count of that name. Carpano Antica Formula gives it a sweet flavour, with punchy citrus notes and smooth vanilla.
Serves 1
25ml Antica Formula vermouth
25ml Carpano Bitter
25ml London dry gin
1 orange slice, to garnish
Combine Antica Formula, Carpano Bitter and the gin in a tumbler glass filled with ice. Gently stir and add the orange slice to garnish.
Pair with: prosciutto di Parma, aged parmigiano reggiano, Sicilian sun-dried tomatoes and pistachios.
Or negroni “made wrong” – a lighter version of the classic cocktail, diluted with fine prosecco for a longer drink.
Serves 1
30ml Antica Formula vermouth
30ml Carpano Bitter
60ml prosecco1 orange slice, to garnish
In a white wine glass filled with ice, combine Antica Formula and Carpano Bitter, gently stir and top with prosecco. Add the orange slice to garnish.
Pair with: mortadella, artichoke hearts, or a classic caprese salad.
Serves 1
50ml Carpano Bianco
75ml prosecco
25ml soda water
1 lemon slice, to garnish1 sprig of fresh mint
Fill a wine glass with ice, pour in the Carpano Bianco, prosecco and the dash of soda. Add the slice of lemon and a big mint sprig and enjoy!
Made with Punt e Mes red vermouth, characterised by its lush orangey bitterness with a sweet finish, this is another long drink and adds an Italian twist to the good old British gin and tonic. The tonic, which has a similar flavour profile to Punt e Mes, is in many ways the perfect partner, accentuating both the bitter and sweet notes of the vermouth.
Serves 1
50ml Punt e Mes
200ml tonic water
1 orange slice, to garnish
Add the Punt e Mes to a tall glass with ice and top with the tonic water. Garnish with the orange slice and serve.
Pair with: cicchetti (small snacks such as anchovies and capers on slices of buttered baguette).
This version celebrates the marriage of the Branca and Carpano brands and their two hometowns, balancing sweet, sour and bitter in a cocktail that will enliven the palate.
Serves 1
50ml Carpano Classico vermouth
45ml Carpano Bitter1 orange slice, to garnish
To build the drink, fill a tumbler glass with ice. Pour in all the ingredients, then stir lightly with a spoon. Garnish with the orange slice, and serve.
Pair with: cotoletta alla Milanese (veal cooked in breadcrumbs) or fritto misto alla piemontese (battered chunks of meat and vegetables).
Try Antica Formula, available at Waitrose