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    March 27, 2020

    Italian Cocktails, Mocktails and Liqueurs

    Cocktail hours and aperitivi have always been a beloved way to get together and socialize.
    Italian cocktails and mocktails are frequently low alcohol content and often with a hint of bitter flavor. This is changing with globalization. Italian cocktails and mocktails are now beginning to take on an international flare and resemble those you’d see in the United States and elsewhere.

    Serving Prosecco

    Aperitivi we drank during lockdown

    So how did we socialize during lockdown?
    Sometimes we did virtual aperitivi with a group of 25 women from Italy, coast to coast USA, Israel and who knows where else! Great fun and we still do them.
    But let’s get down to business and talk about the cocktails I made for these virtual get-togethers!

    I used ingredients I had on hand and came up with two great gin cocktails. If you're not feeling creative grab a great cocktail book like this one! It's the Kindle version so you can get it online - great during lockdown!

    Delicious hand-crafted gin cocktails


    Both of the cocktails used frozen blueberries and frozen cranberries as a tasty garnish.

    Pomegranates are great for juicing

    Pomegranate Gin Cocktail
    For one of my drinks I used frozen pomegranate juice from our trees, from last season. I added an ounce of gin and voilà!

    Lemon Gin Cocktail
    For my second drink I used equal parts gin, simple syrup and fresh squeezed lemon juice – again from our trees.

    Freshly picked organic lemons


    Both cocktails were delicious and festive! Be sure to use nice cocktail glasses that add to the pleasure of your drink.
    I far prefer the classic Italian cocktails and mocktails that Italians have been drinking for years, and that still are the favorites in Italy. And let's not forget about Italy's great wines!
    My favorite by far is the Spritz cocktail: refreshing and light so you can drink as many as you like. The key ingredient is Aperol, one of the many Italian beverages with a hint of bitter flavor.

    A pitcher of Aperol spritz

    Aperol Spritz
    Ingredients:
    Three parts Prosecco, or any bubbly dry white wine
    Two parts Aperol
    A splash of sparkling water
    A slice of orange
    Procedure:
    Pour the Prosecco, Aperol and sparkling water over ice.
    Add a slice of orange and serve.

    Campari Cocktails

    Campari is the key ingredient in a few popular Italian cocktails. It’s great served on the rocks, or with soda water. Here are a few delicious Campari cocktails you might want to try:

    Campari Orange
    Ingredients:
    One part Campari
    Two parts orange juice
    A slice of orange
    Procedure:
    Pour the Campari and orange juice over ice.
    Add a slice of orange and serve.

    Negroni – version 1
    Ingredients:
    One part Campari
    One part Cinzano Rosso
    One part gin
    A slice of orange
    Procedure:
    Pour the Campari, Cinzano Rosso and gin over ice.
    Stir, add a slice of orange and serve

    The world famous Martini & Rossi company has been making cocktail beverages and ingredients for a century and a half. They give the name to what is probably the best known and most loved cocktail worldwide, the martini.
    Here’s how the company describes their startup on their website: “MARTINI® captures the spark that set two men on a lifelong quest to make their stamp on Italian culture. Alessandro Martini – a spirited entrepreneur with a global vision – and Luigi Rossi – a creative muse whose botanical fragrances would lure noses along Turin’s via Dora Grossa… The year was 1863 when their newfound partnership was manifested in their first vermouth: The MARTINI® Rosso. This original blend remains the same to this day.”
    Martini e Rossi offers a slightly different version of the Negroni which is equally delicious.

    Negroni – version 2
    Ingredients:
    One part Martini Rosso
    One part Martini Bitter
    One part Bombay Sapphire
    A twist of orange peel

    Procedure:
    Pour the Martini Rosso, Martini Bitter and Bombay Sapphire over ice.
    Stir, add a generous twist of orange peel, and serve.

    Mocktails

    There are a few bottled mocktails, or nonalcoholic beverages, I like to have on hand for non-alcoholic drinkers: Crodino, Gingerino and San Bitter Rosso & Bianco. They come in little bottles and are fabulous splashed over ice with a slice of orange. Again, all of these beverages, like most cocktails and mocktails, have a slightly bitter flavor that is the signature taste in so many Italian beverages.

    Liqueurs & Digestivi

    Homemade liqueurs from the Saint Benedict monastery in Subiaco

    Let’s not forget Italian liqueurs! There are absolutely dozens upon dozens of these, often homemade by  restaurateurs. Most Italian restaurants will offer you a liqueur, or digestivo (a beverage to help you digest your meal), following dinner. Once again the most common commercially produced liqueurs have a bitter flavor. Often you will simply be offered an amaro, or a bitter-flavored liqueur (amaro is the Italian word for bitter).
    Another common digestivo is grappa. Grappa is made from the distilled grape skins and stems that remain following the wine-making process. When you travel around Italy to visit wineries and purchase wine you’ll see that every winemaker also produces his/her own grappa. Grappa is pure alcohol and is a wonderful way to end a meal!
    Restaurant owners, monasteries and many individuals (myself included), make their own liqueurs. Italians take great pride in their liqueurs and love to show off what they’ve made. The most common of these are limoncello and arancello. A variety of berries, leaves, fruits and nuts are used to make all the many kinds of liqueurs.

    I make a small commission on purchases made through links on my website. Prices are identical, but purchasing through my links helps support my work to bring you great recipes, culinary and travel information.
     

     

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    About

    Wendy at Roscioli
    I’m American and I’ve lived in Italy for nearly four decades with my Italian family. My passion and strength lies in sharing Italian stories, recipes and unique travel insights on my blog, my Flavor of Italy trips and tours, newsletter and podcast. Continue Reading...

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