The aperitif
An all-Italian ritual!
The aperitif was born in the second half of 1700 in Turin and is still a way to meet and be together, accompanied by something to drink and a snack!
In 1786 Antonio Benedetto Carpano began producing a flavored wine , Vermouth which has since become the aperitif par excellence, in fact it conquerd the then King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II who appointed it as the official court aperitif!
From that moment on, success was obvious: it spread to the cafes in the Savoy city, accompanied by snacks based on typical Piedmontese products such as cheeses, cured meats and the inevitable bagna càuda.
In Milan, which has always been an evant-garde city, a drink was studied that could "compete" with that of Piedmont. So Ausano Ramazzotti, a Bolognese pharmacist moved to Milan, created the first non-wine based aperitif liqueur, the Amaro Ramazzotti. It's obtained from the maceration and infusion of the combination of 33 herbs, roots and spices. The aperitif spread slowly throughout Italy, it began to be served in some places in Genoa and Florence where still today many places offer rich buffets and where they invented Negroni. The most popular aperitifs are Americano, Spritz, Negroni, Campari, Rossini and Sanpellegrino. Among the aperitifs composed of a single alcoholic drink, Prosecco is the number one!
How can you give it up?
Michelle