Delicious, festive and fun—this line-up of classic Italian cocktails is sure to make your Vigilia di Capodanno (New Year’s Eve) party an absolute success.
Italy, with its extensive list of apéritifs and digéstifs, has contributed in large part to cocktail culture around the world. Commonly, apéritifs—usually served before a meal to open your palate—are wine-based or light and bitter, often coming in the form of an actual cocktail. And the best way to serve these drinks? With a simple antipasto plate of rustic breads, Italian cured meats and delicious Italian cheeses. Here are the top 10 iconic Italian cocktails to serve up to your guests this Vigilia di Capodanno:
- AMERICANO
Despite its name, the Americano uses only authentic Italian products. Born as the “Milano-Torino” in the 1860s, the Americano is considered the “father” of the Negroni. It is said that the cocktail’s popularity with American travelers inspired an eventual name change.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ oz Campari
- 1 ½ oz Sweet Italian vermouth
- Soda water to top
Preparation: Combine equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth. Add soda water. Serve on the rocks and garnish with a fresh orange peel.
- NEGRONI
It’s said that this cocktail was named after Count Camillo Negroni, who asked his friend and bartender Forsco Scarselli to strengthen his favourite cocktail—the Americano.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Sweet Italian vermouth
- Orange peel
Preparation: Combine equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Serve on the rocks and garnish with a fresh orange peel.
- NEGRONI SBAGLIATO
A happy accident, the Negroni Sbagliato—Italian for “bungled,”—was invented in 1968 at Bar Basso in Milan, when a bartender accidentally used Prosecco DOCG instead of gin. This bubbly Negroni variation is an excellent choice for a brunch cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Prosecco DOCG
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Sweet Italian vermouth
- Orange peel
Preparation: Combine equal parts Prosecco DOCG, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Serve on the rocks and garnish with a fresh orange peel.
- APEROL SPRITZ
Found all over Italy, the Aperol spritz is a classically simple cocktail with Venezian roots—citrusy and slightly bitter in flavour.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz Prosecco DOCG
- 2 oz Aperol
- 1 oz Soda water
Preparation: Combine Prosecco DOCG, Aperol (or other bitter liqueur) and soda water. Serve in a classic wine or rocks glass and garnish with a slice of orange.
- SGROPPINO
A popular, creamy-smooth apéritif originating in Venice, Italy, the Sgroppino is often also consumed as a palate cleanser or a dessert.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup Lemon sorbet
- 1 oz Vodka
- 3 oz Prosecco DOCG
Preparation: Whisk a splash of Prosecco and lemon sorbet until fully mixed. Add vodka and remaining Prosecco. Serve in a flute.
- BELLINI
The first Bellini originated in the summer of 1948 at Harry’s Bar in Venezia, Italy. The addition of peach brandy intensifies and sweetens the cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz Nettare di pesca (peach pureée)
- 2 oz Spumante Brut (Prosecco DOCG is traditional)
Preparation: Mix 3/10 peach puree with 7/10 Prosecco DOCG directly in a flute, pouring the peach juice first.
- ROSSINI
A luscious take on the Bellini, the Rossini swaps peaches and peach purée for Nettare di fragole (strawberry purée).
Ingredients:
- 3 oz Nettare di fragole (strawberry puree)
- 2 oz Spumante Brut (Prosecco DOCG is traditional)
Preparation: Same preparation as mentioned above for Bellini. Use fresh strawberries, sliced, to garnish.
- IL CARDINALE
The Cardinale is said to have been invented at the Excelsior Hotel in Rome by a Cardinal who recommended the recipe to his bartender; the cocktail eventually become a success amongst other patrons.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Gin
- ½ oz Italian vermouth
- ½ oz Campari
Preparation: Combine gin, Vermouth and Campari into a rocks glass; stir and serve.
