11 Italian Cocktails That Taste Like a Vacation
Can't make it to the Amalfi coast? These recipes are the next best thing to booking a flight.
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by PRISSY LEE MONTIEL
Best-case scenario, your summer plans include a trip to Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast. If an idyllic getaway isn't in the cards, however, you can and should still partake in one of the best parts of Italian hospitality — aperitivo hour.
Some of our favorite Italian cocktails call for ingredients you likely already have at home and are incredibly simple to make, like a classic Negroni. Others get a bit more creative, like the Espresso Corretto Martini, which leans on tequila and grappa for a soothing, buzz-inducing nightcap, or the slushy, summer-friendly Sgroppino, which calls for vodka, lemon juice, and Prosecco. And then, of course, some spritzes use familiar Italian aperitivos like Aperol and Campari, as well as lesser-known (but absolutely delightful) bottles like Contratto, Sirene, and Cappelletti.
Whether you're hosting an Italian-inspired dinner party or preparing for a trip abroad, we've got your aperitivo hour sorted with balanced, refreshing cocktails that channel the best of Italian drinking culture.
Negroni
Martini & Rossi
While the drink's exact origins remain fairly uncertain, Negroni history says that its first recorded appearance dates back to 1919. Cocktail lore has it that Count Camillo Negroni, (yes, a real Count named Negroni), frequented a Florentine cafe where he often ordered an Americano. One afternoon, he asked the bartender to strengthen his Americano with gin in lieu of soda water, and thus, the Negroni came to be.
Aperol Spritz
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food styling by Lucy Simon
The past century has been a busy one for Aperol, the iconic orange aperitif. First created in 1919 by two brothers, Silvio and Luigi Barbieri, who wanted to make an aperitif unique to their hometown of Padua, Italy, Aperol’s pleasantly bitter, herbaceous flavor profile quickly became beloved throughout the country.
Today, people all over the world are most accustomed to seeing the Barbieri brothers’ creation in an Aperol Spritz, which calls for prosecco, soda water, and, of course, Aperol.
Bellini
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
According to the Cipriani group, Guiseppi Cipriani invented the Bellini in 1948 to be served at his Venice-based restaurant, Harry’s Bar. Cipriani had a penchant for white peaches and paired the peach puree with prosecco, the iconic sparkling wine made from the Glera grape in the local Veneto region of Italy.
Cipriani aptly named the cocktail after Giovanni Bellini, a Venetian painter. Since then, the cocktail has become a mainstay on the menu at Harry’s Bar and other restaurants around the world.
Cappelletti Spritz
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
Cappelletti takes center stage in this fragrant, bright spritz. The wine-based aperitif has a lovely red color with herbaceous aromas and lemon, orange, and grapefruit on the palate — think of it like Campari’s even more drinkable cousin.
Seltz Limone e Sale (Seltzer with Lemon and Sea Salt)
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by PRISSY LEE MONTIEL
A popular drink at many chioscos in Sicily, this simple Italian spritz is used to hydrate on hot days. If you can’t find Sicilian sea salt, regular fine sea salt or kosher salt may also be used. Just know that you might miss out on some of the prized briny flavor.
Americano
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter
First served in the 1860s at Gaspare Campari’s bar in Milan, Italy, the Americano combines Campari and sweet vermouth in equal parts and is topped with sparkling water and is believed to be the precursor to the Negroni.
This bittersweet highball has warming aromatics from the sweet vermouth and refreshing effervescence from the bubbly water. Not to be confused with the Caffé Americano or Americano coffee, a drink that elongates espresso with water to mimic an American-style drip coffee, the Americano cocktail is a spritz-y beverage that comes together with just a few ingredients. It’s believed that the name actually comes from its popularity among American tourists.
Negroni Sbagliato
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
Like an Americano composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda water, a Sbagliato leans on effervescent prosecco for bubbles and a bit of added dryness. The Italian sparkling wine is known for its fruit-forward flavor which balances the bitter Campari and helps brighten the earthier flavors found in sweet vermouth. The use of Prosecco in place of gin makes the Sbagliato a lower-ABV alternative to a classic Negroni.
Sirene Spritz
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
Sirene is a red aperitif (similar to Campari and Cappelletti) and is made using 23 botanicals, many of which are grown near Lake Garda and Verona. The liqueur is made with a base of Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grapes with notes of orange, rhubarb, ginger, and gentian detectable with every sip.
Elderflower liqueur and prosecco round out this floral summertime sipper that is simply built directly into the glass.
Espresso Corretto Martini
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell
A traditional Italian Cafe Corretto features espresso with grappa or another liqueur. To make this cocktail, start with a rich reposado tequila (instead of the usual vodka found in an Espresso Martini,) add coffee liqueur, room temperature espresso, and grappa. To round out this rich, and buzzy coffee drink, add a generous amount of mole bitters for extra depth of flavor.
Sgroppino
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
If Americans have frosé, the Italians have one-upped us with Sgroppino. Simply made with lemon sorbet, and vodka and topped with prosecco, this zesty sparkler is at once a sweet treat and a summertime refresher. Be warned: this slushy drink is boozier than you might expect, with half an ounce of vodka and an ounce of the Italian bubbly.
Contratto Spritz
Sweeter than Campari and brimming with rhubarb, tangerine, and herbal notes, Contratto makes for one of our favorite summer spritzes.
This slightly bitter and refreshing spritz from The Elysian Bar in New Orleans is an ideal aperitif, with fruit, sage, and mild licorice flavors. This drink is garnished with a dehydrated lemon slice — brushing it with simple syrup helps it keep its crispy, sweet texture.
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