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Italy is famous for its cuisine, and food plays a pivotal role in Italian culture. If lunch and dinner are a chance to spend quality time with family, Italians have also found a way to make time for drinking and eating with their friends: the aperitivo.
Taking part in social gatherings such as the aperitivo is a great way to make new friends when visiting Italy, immerse yourself in Italian culture, and learn the Italian language!
Aperitivo meaning and word origin
The aperitivo meaning comes from the Latin verb aperire, which translates as “to open.” As Italians would say, an aperitivo is something you drink to aprire lo stomaco (open one’s stomach) and stimulate the appetite. The same Latin verb also inspired the French word aperitif, which is now used in English and Italian to refer to an alcoholic drink taken before a meal as an appetizer.
This type of alcoholic preparation with an intense aroma, called “bitters,” was created by combining alcohol and aromatic herbs, roots, flowers, spices, and fruit peels. Originally used as medicinal elixirs to treat illnesses, bitters are now go-to ingredients for bartenders worldwide to prepare cocktails and aperitifs that encourage the release of digestive juices and prepare the stomach for digesting a meal.
History of aperitivo to modern day
The Italian tradition of aperitivo dates back to ancient Rome when wealthy families used to consume alcoholic beverages in anticipation of dinner. At that time, sweet white wine infused with herbs was used both for recreational purposes and to treat people suffering from loss of appetite.
In 1796 in Turin, Italy, herbalist and distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented vermouth. He was inspired by an alcoholic beverage with herbs, spices, and honey from ancient Greece and Rome, and created his drink by mixing sweet Moscato wine with herbs and spices. Several years later, King Vittorio Amedeo III received a case of this beverage as a gift, and he liked it so much that it became the official aperitif of the King’s court. Vermouth also became a very popular drink in Turin cafes during this time period, where people gathered in the afternoons for the merenda sinoira, which means “pre-evening snack” in the Turin Italian dialect.
Vermouth continued to spread throughout Italy, along with the custom of gathering with friends and colleagues in the evening to have a pre-dinner drink and a quick meal of cold cuts, cheeses, and omelets.
The word aperitivo didn’t become a synonym for social gathering until the 20th century in Milan. People started replacing wine, bitters, and spirits with more elaborate cocktails and drinks, and in some places, the snacks transformed into full-fledged buffets.
In the 1990s, the concept of apericena appeared in Milan—an aperitivo so rich and sumptuous that it may as well be called a cena (dinner). Now, aperitivo plays such an important role in the identity of Milan that the city hosts a yearly festival to celebrate international World Aperitivo Day.
Today, centuries later, aperitivo is still a beloved tradition in Italy. According to recent research from CGA, 48% of surveyed Italian consumers report going out for aperitifs—43% treat themselves weekly, while an impressive 85% indulge monthly. And it’s a tradition that’s here to stay! The younger millennial generation not only frequents more aperitivo events, but they spend more money on aperitivo than other age groups.
The importance of aperitivo
To fully comprehend the aperitivo meaning in Italian culture, it’s imperative to understand Dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing), an integral Italian saying and philosophy.
The Italian way of life is about balancing what you’re supposed to do (for example, work) and what you feel like or enjoy doing. Il dolce far niente is not just idleness; it’s what helps people find joy in the little things, take some time for themselves, and live in the moment.
So, Italians love having aperitivo because it’s a way of enjoying simple pleasures, savoring every moment, and embracing a balanced lifestyle.
Conviviality and connection
Social interactions play an important role in everyday life in Italy. This pre-dinner ritual is the perfect time for cultivating friendships, meeting new people, and catching up on the latest news and gossip.
Also, aperitivo may be an occasion to get to know your colleagues more personally outside of the office and even make new acquaintances. It’s not unusual in Italy to bring new people from other groups, university buddies, family members, or even a person you date to meet with your friends at an aperitivo.
Taking a pause
Just like Italians like having as many pause caffè (coffee breaks, another moment of dolce far niente) as possible during office hours, they love wrapping up a long workday with an aperitivo to release stress, forget about problems and deadlines, and restore inner balance.
You rarely have serious conversations around an aperitivo table; it’s truly a time to unwind, have fun, and discuss your interests. And, of course, one or two alcoholic aperitifs can help you relax!
Love of food
Aperitivo is also a great way to cultivate one of the biggest passions virtually all Italians share: the passion for food.
During an aperitivo, you get to try a variety of delicious snacks and unwind with drinks while preparing for your next big meal.
What’s the difference between aperitif, aperitivo, and happy hour?
In the US and other English-speaking countries, the word aperitif is used only to refer to a drink, often an alcoholic beverage, that people take before a meal as an appetizer.
While both aperitivo and happy hour happen in the evening after work, they’re also quite different. Happy hour is an opportunity for bars and pubs to sell drinks and appetizers at a discount, and Italian aperitivo is a cultural tradition and ritual of sharing and unwinding with friends, family, or colleagues over drinks and food.
Even though they’re both pre-dinner occasions, in Italy, don’t expect to get discounted beverages at aperitivo like you would at a US happy hour. But you can enjoy the free food that’s included in the price of your drink!
When to enjoy an aperitivo
Most Italians like to have their aperitivo right after work and before going home for dinner. In Italy, the workday ends between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and people usually don’t have dinner before 8 p.m. in the north or 9 p.m. in the south. So, Italians have a few post-work hours to spend with their friends and colleagues, sipping on drinks and preparing their stomachs for dinner.
However, a smaller aperitivo gathering may occur before lunch, especially on weekends and non-working days.
How to order an Italian aperitivo
To truly enjoy and participate in aperitivo in Italy, it helps to understand some useful Italian phrases, especially those that involve ordering food in Italian.
First, if you want to ask a friend to have an Italian aperitif with you, you can say “facciamo aperitivo stasera?” (let’s have aperitivo tonight) or the more colloquial expression “stasera ape?” that features the contracted form of the word.
When you sit at your table, a server will greet you and your friends with a “Buona sera” (good evening) or a more casual “Ciao, ragazzi!” (hi guys).
Then, they’ll ask you what you would like to order using one of these phrases:
- Sapete già? = Do you already know [what you want to order]?
- Cosa vi porto? = What can I bring you?
- Cosa bevete? = What are you drinking?
- Cosa prendete? = What do you [want to] order?
You can answer with:
- Io prendo un/uno/una… = I’ll take a…
- Per me un/uno/una… = For me a…
- Io vorrei un/uno/una… = I’d like a…
- Un bicchiere di vino, per favore. = A glass of wine, please.
Despite Italian aperitivo being informal, it’s still important to know how to say thank you in Italian, especially after your server brings you the drink and says “prego.”
Also, remember that you aren’t expected to order specific food during an aperitivo in Italy. Snacks are served along with your drinks. In some cases, you can head to the buffet, take whatever you like, and get as many refills as you wish.
Popular aperitivo drinks
Undoubtedly, the most well-known aperitivo drink in Italy is the Aperol Spritz, with its distinctive orange color and sweet taste. Another version of the aperitivo spritz that uses Campari bitter instead of Aperol is called Campari Spritz.
This light cocktail was invented in Veneto at the beginning of the 19th century when the region was still under the control of the Hapsburg monarchy. The Austrians, accustomed to beer, could not stand the alcohol content of the Venetian wine and would spritzen (“to spray” in German) sparkling water to dilute it.
Negroni is another popular alcoholic aperitif cocktail in Italy; much stronger than spritz, it features a bright red color and is made by mixing red vermouth, Campari bitter, and gin. This drink was born in Florence in 1919 and named after Count Camillo Negroni, who learned to appreciate stronger drinks while working and traveling in the Wild West.
Over the last few years, the Gin and Tonic (which in Italian is simply Gin Tonic) has also become a well-liked option, so many Italian bars now offer a huge selection of gins from all over the world.
You can also order a glass of wine or, if you don’t like drinking alcohol, you can go for un analcolico (a non-alcoholic aperitif) or a soft drink. But remember that Italian coffee is not an option during an aperitivo.
At lunchtime aperitivo—not to be confused with brunch—Italians usually prefer a glass of white wine or prosecco or a non-alcoholic bitter aperitif such as Crodino or Sanbittèr.
Aperitivo food that comes with your drink
Food is probably the best part of an Italian aperitivo because it’s free and you get to try different local snacks depending on the city you’re visiting or living in.
The free snacks you get with your drink are called stuzzichini. However, Italians prefer using dialectal words, like cicchetti in Veneto, and smangini or sbranetti in Liguria.
Aperitivo snacks are fairly standard throughout Italy. Typically, you can expect to receive a tagliere di salumi (charcuterie board) or a tagliere di formaggi (cheeseboard), patatine (potato chips), pizzette (mini pizzas), and small sandwiches. If you’re at a buffet-style aperitivo, you may also find French fries, salads, different types of pasta, meat, and even seafood.
Of course, there are some typical regional snacks or dishes. For example, in Liguria, you’ll likely get the chance to try some focaccia slices. In Trentino, you may receive some deer meat delicacies, while in Southern Italy, you can feast on gamberetti (shrimps), polpo (octopus), and other seafood. The list goes on—in Italy, every city has its local cuisine and dishes, which is sometimes made into an aperitivo snack.
During the day, bars serve much lighter snacks than during an aperitivo in the evening. At lunchtime aperitivo, you may snack on olive (olives), noccioline (peanuts), or a few tramezzino sandwiches.
Dive into more Italian culture with Rosetta Stone
Aperitivo is an important part of Italian culture—a time of the day when you can leave your stress and problems behind and enjoy conversation, drinks, and delicious food with your friends and loved ones.
Understanding and speaking Italian is a crucial part of enjoying the aperitivo meaning and experience to its fullest. With the Rosetta Stone App, you can learn Italian wherever (and whenever!) you are with live lessons, an Italian phrasebook, engaging stories, and much more.