Negroni or Aperol Spritz? Italy’s classic cocktails conquer the world

If anybody knows how to make a refreshing drink, it is the Italians with their aperitivi.

Once upon a time, the term aperitivo was synonymous with Milan, where potato chips and a glass of sparkling white wine before dinner is a longstanding tradition.

Fortunately for us, it didn’t take long for the aperitivo to make its way to Australian shores along with the many Italian migrants who have come to call our country home.

The word aperitivo is synonymous with socialising over a drink and some tasty snacks.

The aperitivo in this sense was born in the 20^th century, becoming a trendy phenomenon in the 1960s.

In saying that, the aperitivo in broader terms dates back to as early as the fifth century BC.

Since ancient times, many communities across Italy have preceded dinner with an aromatic drink, usually alcoholic, with the purpose of whetting the appetite.

This function is also represented in the etymology of the word aperitivo, which derives from the Latin aprire.

In more recent years, the term has been associated with famous Italian cocktails, such as the Aperol Spritz, Campari Spritz, Bellini and Negroni.

Certainly the most famous is the Aperol Spritz: prosecco blended with Aperol and a splash of seltzer, and served with ice and a straw.

Though much mystery surrounds this drink, one thing is certain: it originated in the region of Veneto and has since become one of the world’s favourite cocktails.

Many believe the drink dates back to somewhere between the late 1700s and early 1800s, when the Lombardy-Veneto area was under the reign of the Habsburg Empire.

It is said that during this time, Austrian soldiers adopted the locals’ habit of drinking in a tavern but, accustomed to drinking beer, they disliked the high alcohol content of the wine served in Veneto.

Legend has it they requested the bartenders to add, or spray (spritzen in German), a bit of water to the glass to dilute the wine.

The original Spritz was made by adding water to red or white wine and in some areas of the Dolomites, this is the drink that will be placed before you if you order a sprissetto.

Its first evolution, which brought it to what we now know as the Spritz, came about in the early 1900s when seltz (soda water), which made the wine fizzy, substituted still water.

Over the years, the concept of the aperitivo was born and other liqueurs were added to the equation, among them the famous Aperol.

Nowadays, the correct recipe still is not confirmed and every area and region in Italy has its own take on the drink.

If you visit Treviso, you will be served prosecco, a choice of Aperol or Campari (or both if you order a Spritz mezzo e mezzo), an orange slice and an olive.

If you move on to Venice, you will be drinking still wine with Select or Cynar.

Meanwhile in Udine, it is compulsory to make a Spritz with Tocai Friulano, Aperol or Campari and decorate it with lemon peel.

Trieste is still sticking to the Austro-Hungarian way of making it, using wine and sparkling water.

The first version is the most commonly used across the world, and is made up of three equal parts: ⅓ prosecco, ⅓ Aperol and ⅓ soda water.

That said, we suggest that you trust your senses, especially sight and taste, when making one.

The orange colour (or red, if using Campari) should be vibrant, but at the same time, the bitter Aperol taste should not be overwhelming.

Although it is often presented in a wine glass, a Spritz should be served in a rocks glass – a short tumbler used for serving spirits or cocktails with few ingredients.

After spending decades relatively unknown outside of Italy, the Spritz exploded onto the international cocktail scene along with another Italian aperitivo: the Negroni.

The two classics are close cousins, sharing flavour that pairs the sweetness of oranges with the bitterness of herbs, but the former is considered a lighter alternative to the latter as it is less alcoholic.

Known for its bitter notes, Negroni contains equal parts of gin, red vermouth and Campari.

The drink is traditionally stirred, not shaken, and served in a rocks glass with ice and garnished with a slice of orange or an orange peel. 

It is widely believed that the cocktail was first mixed at Caffè Casoni (then called Caffè Giacosa), in Florence, on Via de’ Tornabuoni, where a boutique of Giorgio Armani now stands. 

According to tradition, Count Camillo Negroni concocted it by asking the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen his favourite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than the normal soda water.

The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink.

Before long, everyone was coming into the bar for a “Negroni”.

The Negroni family was quick to take advantage of the cocktail’s success too, founding the Negroni Distillery in 1919, in Treviso, where they produced a ready-made version of the drink, sold as Antico Negroni.

The distillery is still open today, under the ownership of a new family.

As the world has come to love both the Aperol Spritz and the Negroni, people generally tend to prefer one over the other: light and fizzy on the one hand, or sophisticated and punchy on the other.

Regardless of your personal preference, both of these Italian classics are the perfect choice for a warm evening in wonderful company.