Aperitif like in Italy: 8 light cocktails before dinner — from Americano to Kir Royale
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In Italy, there’s an hour worth adopting from the Italians: aperitivo. The time between work and dinner, when you order something light and bitter at the bar, olives and chips are brought with it, and for half an hour, no one is rushing anywhere. The point of the aperitif isn’t the alcohol, but the switch: bitterness and bubbles awaken the appetite, a light degree of relaxation, but not too much — and dinner after such a prologue is twice as tasty.
The main mistake with pre-dinner cocktails is making them strong and sweet. Sweetness kills the appetite, and strength dulls the taste of the food. The right aperitif works the other way around: it has little alcohol and a lot of character — bitter aperitif, dry vermouth, sherry, sparkling wine. Almost everything on this list is lighter than a glass of wine, yet looks fancy: these cocktails are not embarrassing to serve to guests while the meat is roasting.
Eight recipes from the catalog 24cocktails.com: three Italians, two French, one Spanish in spirit, and a couple of drinks that could even be an excuse for breakfast. They all come together in a glass or with a couple of movements; you won’t need a shaker even once. I’m giving the proportions and steps exactly as they are written in the recipes on the site.
1. Americano (Americano)
The grandfather of the Italian aperitif and the lightest member of the Campari family. The mix of bitter and sweet vermouth was enjoyed by Milanese back in the 19th century under the name 'Milano-Torino' — named after the hometowns of the ingredients — and 'Americano' is said to have been coined due to American tourists' love for this drink. The bitter orange of Campari, the spicy sweetness of vermouth, soda, and a mountain of ice: a degree lower than wine, but with character enough for an entire evening. It’s with the Americano that the journey to Negroni begins: the same pair, just with gin.
Ingredients
- Campari — 1 oz
- Sweet red vermouth — 1 oz
- Lemon peel — twist
- Orange peel — twist
How to prepare
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Pour in the Campari.
- Add sweet vermouth.
- Add a splash of soda water.
- Stir.
- Garnish with half an orange.
Tip: ice — to the top, soda — just a bit: an Americano should remain a drink, not a soda with a hint. Store opened vermouth in the fridge and not longer than a month — it’s wine, it breathes, and tired vermouth is noticeable in the glass right away.
2. Adonis
An aperitif for those who want to look like connoisseurs without raising their voices. The Adonis is named, it is said, after the Broadway musical of the 1880s — the first hit to last more than five hundred performances — and is built on sherry: the Spanish fortified wine takes center stage here, while sweet vermouth plays backup. Oloroso gives a nutty, dry, slightly salty note, while the vermouth adds spices and softness. Low proof, deep flavor, like a drink twice as strong — a perfect pair for cheese and jamón.
Ingredients
- Oloroso sherry — 60 ml
- Sweet vermouth Martini Rosso — 30 ml
- Angostura orange bitters — 2 dashes
How to make it
- Mix all the ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass, garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Tip: this is a stirred cocktail, not a shaken one: swirl it with ice in the glass for about twenty seconds, until nice and cold, and then strain. Squeeze the oil from the orange peel over the glass — the citrus aroma ties the sherry and vermouth together beautifully.
3. Hugo
The youngest in the lineup and the fastest in terms of career: Hugo was invented in South Tyrol in the mid-2000s, and in twenty years it has gone from a local oddity to a menu item across Europe. Prosecco, elderflower liqueur, soda, mint, and lime — light, floral, refreshing, like an alpine morning. It’s one of those cases where a 'ladies’ cocktail' turns out to be a favorite for everyone: in summer on the terrace, Hugo disappears faster than any syringe.
Ingredients
- Prosecco (sparkling wine) — 60 ml
- St-Germain elderflower liqueur — 20 ml
- Thomas Henry soda — 12.5 ml
How to make
- Pour the ingredients into a glass with ice.
- Give it a brief stir.
- Garnish with a mint leaf and a wedge of lime.
Tip: Before serving, clap the mint between your palms — don’t rub it, just clap: the leaves will release their aroma without bitterness. Everything except the liqueur should be ice-cold, and the ice should be large: small ice will melt in five minutes and dilute the delicate floral flavor into water.
4. Bellini (Bellini)
The Venetian legend: the Bellini was invented at the famous Harry's Bar, where it was mixed from white peach and Prosecco and named after the painter Giovanni Bellini — for the peach hue that reminded the bar's founder of the tones in his paintings. Originally, it was peach puree; our version is homey and quick, using peach schnapps, which gives the same fruity note without the hassle of a blender. Delicate, festive, and deceptively light — an aperitif that’s equally good before dinner and as a dessert substitute.
Ingredients
- Champagne — 6 oz
- Peach schnapps — 1 oz
How to make
- Pour the peach schnapps into a chilled champagne glass.
- Add the sparkling wine.
- Gently stir the cocktail.
Tip: the order is not random: schnapps first, sparkling second, then the bubbles will mix everything themselves, and you’ll hardly need a spoon. Stir with one or two movements, no more — each extra movement costs the glass half its bubbles. And no ice: just icy bottles.
5. Mimosa
The only cocktail that's socially approved for consumption before noon. It's believed that the Mimosa was first mixed at the Ritz hotel in Paris in the twenties, named for its color — matching the yellow blooms of the mimosa. The formula is simple to the point of genius: fresh orange juice and chilled sparkling wine. It turns out lighter than champagne itself, fresh, festive, and completely unburdensome — which is why the Mimosa became the queen of brunches: it brightens the morning without canceling the day's plans.
Ingredients
- Champagne — 6 oz (about 180 ml), chilled
- Orange juice — 2 oz (60 ml)
How to make
- Make sure the champagne and orange juice are well chilled.
- Pour the orange juice into a champagne flute.
- Gently add the chilled champagne.
- Serve cold.
Tip: juice — only freshly squeezed and strained of pulp: packaged juice turns a Mimosa into a fizzy compote. Keep the ratio leaning towards sparkling, not juice — otherwise, you’ll end up with 'orange juice with an attitude.' Put the glasses in the freezer ten minutes before serving.
6. Kir Royale
The French answer to the Italian aperitif — and, perhaps, the most elegant way to kick off the evening. The cocktail is named after Félix Kir, the mayor of Dijon, who after the war treated the city's guests to a mix of Burgundy Aligoté and local blackcurrant liqueur; the version with sparkling wine instead of still wine got the 'royale' tag — royal. A drop of dark crème de cassis colors the glass a pomegranate hue, adding berry sweetness and depth — and then the champagne does its thing.
Ingredients
- Crème de cassis — 1 part
- Champagne — 5 parts
How to make
- Pour the crème de cassis into the glass.
- Carefully pour the champagne on top.
Tip: At home, consider a part as 20 ml: a spoonful of cassis and a full glass of sparkling wine. It's easier to underpour the liqueur than to overdo it — if you make it too sweet, the aperitif turns into a dessert. Brut is a must here: dry sparkling wine balances the sweet liqueur, while semi-sweet will throw off the balance.
7. Negroni Sbagliato
‘Sbagliato’ in Italian means ‘mistaken’: according to legend, a bartender at Milan's Bar Basso, in a rush, grabbed a bottle of sparkling wine instead of gin, and the mistake turned out to be better than the original — for those who find the classic Negroni too harsh. The bitterness of the bitter and the spice of the vermouth are still there, but instead of a gin punch — there's sparkling lightness. This is a Negroni you can drink before dinner without consequences for dinner: all the character, half the proof.
Ingredients
- Sweet vermouth Martini Rosso — 30 ml
- Italian red bitter — 30 ml
- Spumante Manzoni Rosa Extra Dry — 60 ml
How to prepare
- Pour all the ingredients into a glass with ice.
- Gently stir.
- Garnish with a slice of orange.
Tip: Pour the sparkling wine last and stir with one motion from bottom to top — the goal is to keep the bubbles, not get rid of them. Before serving, gently squeeze the orange over the glass: the citrus oil on the surface is half the aroma of this cocktail.
8. Alfonso (Alfonso)
An aperitif with a royal biography: legend has it that the cocktail is named after Spanish King Alfonso XIII, who tasted it during his French exile. The construction is like that of a classic champagne cocktail, but instead of cognac, it uses Dubonnet, a French aperitif made from wine with quinine and spices. A sugar cube soaked in bitters sits at the bottom and slowly imparts a spicy sweetness to the bubbles: the glass changes from the first sip to the last. It looks like theater, and it’s prepared in a minute.
Ingredients
- Sugar — a cube of white sugar
- Angostura bitters
- Dubonnet (Dubonnet Red) — 15 ml
- Brut champagne
How to make it
- Dip a sugar cube in bitters and place it in the glass.
- Pour in the Dubonnet and then the champagne into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon zest.
Tip: the sugar should remain a cube — don’t crush or stir it: the slow dissolution and the trail of bubbles from it is the whole show. Just two or three drops of bitters on the cube, no more. Pour the sparkling wine slowly, down the side: the sugar froths it up more than usual.
Eight ways to start the evening like a human. The minimum starter kit is a bottle of Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda: that’s already an Americano. Add some sparkling wine — you’ll unlock Sbagliato, Bellini, Mimosa, and Kir Royale; a bottle of sherry will gift you an Adonis, elderflower liqueur — a Hugo. Note: not a single shaker, not a single complicated technique — an aperitif should be easy, including in its preparation. Santé, chin-chin, and enjoy your meal.
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