Starting the evening Italian style means aperitivo. A pre-dinner drink, served with snacks, friends – and ideally a prime people-watching seat – is a country-wide institution. And it’s a great way to channel a bit of la dolce vita, even if your surroundings are more Romford than Rome.
From the latin aperire – meaning “to open” – aperitivo is designed to whet the appetite. That’s the theory at least, says Daniele Umoette, who is originally from Carpi in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region but now lives in London. But really the practice is more about fun than digestive groundwork.
“It is what you have been waiting for all day, an important social moment. Italians are a convivial bunch. We never refuse a good time,” he says. Aperitivo need not be the start of a big night. “Italians don’t always go ‘out-out’ – we take our time, enjoy the moment.”
The starting point, he believes, is mindset. “We have responsibilities but there are moments when we let go. We like our eating and drinking, from our morning coffee on, to involve ritual and pleasure. That is our culture. It’s the right way to live.”
Now a drinks brand ambassador, Umoette has also worked as a bartender. “Aperitivo is the best moment behind the bar too. It’s when it all happens, all the regulars come. There is a buzz of anticipation and openness.”
Annamaria Giordano, a fitness instructor from Turin, often rounds off a weekend stroll with an evening aperitivo in the alleys and piazzas of the city’s fashionable Quadrilatero Romano district.
“It’s a great way to see friends. It can be quite spontaneous, less of a commitment than meeting for dinner, and of course it is cheaper than a restaurant and less work than cooking,” she says.
The scene in northern Italian university cities such as Turin and Milan, both of which lay claim to the tradition’s 18th-century origins, is particularly lively, with bars competing to lay on the best spread.
Something to eat is always thrown in. And it’s generally a far cry from a shared packet of roasted peanuts. The nibbles slow the drinking and up the sense of occasion.
“The trend now is for ‘apericena’, merging into dinner,” says Giordano. “As well as olives and crisps there are bruschette, cheeses, cured meats, marinated vegetables, raw fish, pasta dishes, fried nibbles, even cakes. For 10 to 20 euros you eat very well.”
Venue and vibe range from very relaxed – a quick spritz, and jeans or tracksuit as the approved garb – to high chic in the city’s ornate historic bars, for “silver platter service and a pre-theatre crowd”, says Giordano.
Coronavirus has, of course, curtailed the fun for now. “My last aperitivo was early March, just before lockdown, with my 14-year-old son,” she says. “We sat under the outdoor heaters, chatting, people-watching and eating. It was lovely. Now we are hoping for summer sunset aperitivi on the beach.”
But if sand underfoot is off the menu, aperitivo at home is an option. “You can invite a few more people than for a sit-down meal and it’s easier to chat and mingle,” she says. “People help themselves to bits and pieces and grab a seat wherever. It is informal and intimate.”
Food writer Kay Plunkett-Hogge first discovered aperitivo while working as a model agent in hectic 1980s Milan. So taken was she with the ritual that she wrote a book, Aperitivo: Drinks and Snacks for the Dolce Vita.
Her preference is the classic pre-dinner affair. “One or two drinks, a little savoury snack, everyone winding down. Then off you go for dinner, neither drunk nor having spoiled your appetite. It is so civilised,” she says.
As a working-from-home veteran, she was a fan of the domestic aperitivo – with or without guests – long before the Coronavirus “locktails” trend.
“It is a demarcation in the day, a bit of self-care. Aperitivo doesn’t have to be glamorous or even in company. It is really about stopping. Otherwise you can find you’ve worked all day, had dinner and barely noticed or enjoyed it.”
Shutting the laptop, putting on some music and prepping dinner so there is little left to do, will help create the atmosphere. Suitable nibbles might be as simple as some crisps and good olives to more substantial options such as squares of omelette, bites of pizza, bowls of Sicilian caponata or even teacups of pasta with sauce.
So, with the scene set and the snacks sorted, what should you be drinking?
Umoette suggests mixing a refreshing spritz of pink grapefruit-flavoured Malfy Gin Rosa, blood orange soda and a splash of prosecco over ice, with a slice of orange, a sprig of thyme and a couple of strawberries to garnish.
“When I mix a drink I want to capture the essence of a place. If it looks and tastes great it will move you there for a moment.” And because Malfy Gin is inspired by the Amalfi coast – Italy’s beautiful stretch of coastline in the southern province of Salerno – there’s no better drink to capture the sunny essence of aperitivo hour from the comfort of your home.
If you want a slight variation on his recipe, Umoette says the basic formula for a spritz is gin, a nice mixer, a dash of prosecco, a bit of fruit, some aromatic herbs and plenty of ice. “Experiment and always use a nice glass,” he says.
Malfy Gin is available to purchase in selected Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda, M&S, Waitrose and Co-op stores, as well as Ocado and the Malfy Gin Amazon brand store
Please drink Malfy Gin responsibly. For the facts, visit drinkaware.co.uk
