A small history of the Italian aperitivo
Did you know how the Italian aperitivo was born ?
The Italian aperitivo is the little alcoholic drink you have before dinner to stimulate the appetite. A drink with not too much alcohol, since you take it on an almost empty stomach. And it was born in Turin.
In Turin in the Northwest of Italy, in 1786 Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented the Vermouth. In a shop under the arcades of Piazza Castello, in the town center, Carpano began to produce a white wine flavored obtained with infusion of more than 30 types of herbs and spices: The Vermouth.
Gancia Vermouth became the official drink of the royal house, which granted permission to use the formula “White Gancia, vermouth Aristocracy and the Kingship.” It didn`t take long and the drink became the symbol of Turin, Piedmont and then Italy. Since then, this drink was exported throughout Europe and subsequently produced by large companies such as Cinzano and Martini & Rossi, Aperol.
Today there are a lot more drinks considered “aperitivo”-drinks.
The most famous Italian cocktail for an aperitif are: L’Americano, Bellini, Campari, Martini (to drink plain or as a base for many cocktails like the Negroni or Manhattan) and Spritz.
Today the aperitivo has evolved into a real happening – especially in Northern Italy. But more about that next time in another blog post on ByItaly.
