Aperitivo: The Cocktail Culture of Italy

by Marisa Huff, Joe Bastianich (Foreword)

Kick off the evening as the Italians do, with these recipes for drinks and small dishes from the best bars and restaurants of Venice, Milan, Turin, and beyond. Aperitivo takes the reader on a spirited ride through this cocktail culture, covering variations on all the classics including the Negroni, the Bellini, and the spritz and stopping at the chicest bars that have elevated this ritual to an art form. Many of the drinks are structured around vermouths and other botanical-infused liqueurs, which offer a new world of complex flavors. They yield enticingly simple cocktails that refresh—without stunning the palate (thanks to a lighter alcohol content). But Aperitivo is just as much about the food because in Italy, drinking and eating go hand in hand. Recipes feature fried sage leaves, oven-roasted eggplant, and carbonara tramezzini, as well as many delicious riffs on crostini, frittata, and focaccia. Whether planning a party or just having a friend over for a quick drink, Aperitivo brings a whole new spirit of conviviality and true Italian style to the occasion.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cocktails, Food

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2016

Reviews

[Menty Yu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book (I mean not only for coffee table book), and the good part is it gives a lot of background stories about different cities and regions of Italy, and there are even recipes about food-and-cocktail pairing

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photography, but strikes me as more food than beverage oriented, and unfortunately the recipes are loaded with delicious things I cannot eat.

[PeggyVW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great variety of enticing recipes, beautiful photos. Unfortunately, the photos aren't labeled with captions. It would be nice to know where the photos were taken.

[Laurie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely photography to enjoy (and recipes to make a shopping list for) on a gray day. Made me want to plan a small cocktail party for a warm spring evening to come!

[RoseMary author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photography and detailed recipes that make me feel I'm back in Italy.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully enjoyable book that made me want to open an Aperitivo style restaurant just to have an excuse to regularly indulge in the food and drinks discussed. The regional format and lavish photo spreads really help immerse you into the atmosphere and head-space for the aperitivo culture. Have already expanded my liqueur cabinet to include a number of new bottles and have been happily experimenting for weeks. If you love cocktails and that culture, this book is a must.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much!