The real Italian Aperitivo
It’s called Aperitivo and it’s the fashionable tradition that unifies Italian culture from north to south. It can’t be translated with happy hour nor with appetizer, it’s something unique.
The concept of Italian aperitivo is meant to have been invented by or effectively marketed by the distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano, that in 1786 in Turin also created the first type of Vermouth. Vermouth became popular very quickly but it is unclear when people started to refer to these kind of drinks as “aperitivi”. We do know that the word comes from the Latin word “opener”, signifying that it was to open a meal. In fact, an aperitivo is a pre-meal drink thought to whet one’s appetite. But it’s not only that: it’s a custom. A noteworthy aperitivo provides that cocktails and wines are accompanied by snacks, deli meats, cheeses, vegetables, quiches and other different appetizers that highlight Italian local specialties and excellences. An italian aperitivo should take place from 6pm to 9pm and it’s not supposed to replace your dinner, but anything is possible!