In Italy there\u2019s a popular saying, often expressed when sharing drinks amongst friends: \u201cYears, loves, and glasses of wine\u2014or cocktails\u2014should never be counted.\u201d Indulge in the finer pleasures without worrying about over<\/em>indulgence. It\u2019s an easier philosophy to embrace when said drinks are spectacular. And the Italians know a thing or two about that. These are the folks who invented the Negroni, Aperol Spritz, and even Aperitivo hour. They essentially perfected the modern art of hospitality itself. <\/p>\n What goes into the ideal Italian cocktail, as a result, is as much about sociability and presentation as it is about a specific flavor profile or provenance of ingredients. It isn\u2019t just a drink, it\u2019s a way of life. As soulful as a Puccini-penned opera. As colorful and exuberant as a summer sunset over the Amalfi Coast. Equally as expressive regardless of time or season. <\/p>\n You needn\u2019t wait for a dedicated occasion to toast with such a tipple. The drink is<\/em> the occasion. As it so happens, though, the Winter Olympics kicked off in Northeast Italy this month. In honor of their arrival, we asked some of our favorite bartenders from across the globe to share their favorite Italian cocktail recipes, along with detailed instructions on how to assemble them at home. We\u2019ve sharing 15 examples below. But who\u2019s counting?<\/p>\n Italian cocktail culture can largely trace its origins back to the birth of this simple creation<\/a>, within the cafes of 1860s Milan. Ironically, it’s named for American tourists, who drank it more frequently than water when exploring this part of the world in the early 20th century. Originally, it was known as the Mi-To, shorthand for Milano and Torino. Low in ABV, refreshing on the palate, and a splash to make at home, it remains the ultimate fallback whenever you want to entertain with a Mediterranean flair. The singular caveat to be mindful of when throwing it together is to apply a tender touch with the soda water. You really want your spritz to spritz. <\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Fill a highball or rocks glass with ice. Add the Campari and sweet vermouth into the glass and top up gently with club soda, to taste. Lightly stir with bar spoon to preserve carbonation. Garnish with an orange slice or lemon twist. It\u2019s been over a century since Count Camillo Negroni left his indelible mark on cocktail culture when he asked for a stiffer version of an Americano at his favorite Florentine cafe. The resulting drink, which still bears his name, is as popular today as ever. How could it not be? It\u2019s colorful, it\u2019s balanced, it\u2019s incredibly easy to compose at home\u2014three ingredients, equal parts. But if you\u2019re not afraid to get a bit adventurous, you can zhuzh it up with just a touch of advanced preparation. At Marea Beverly Hills<\/a>, the acclaimed Italian eatery administers a strawberry-infused Campari to wondrous effect. <\/p>\n Too Bad She\u2019s Bad is slightly suppler and more food-friendly than a standard Negroni. It pairs naturally against saltier fare, like the caviar, crudi, and housemade seafood pastas which made Marea famous. And it\u2019s a standout amongst the restaurant\u2019s Sophia Loren Cocktail Collection, with each offering taking inspiration from\u2014and named after\u2014one of the starlet\u2019s most iconic roles.<\/p>\n \u201cThe strawberry here softens the sharp bitter edges of Campari without losing its nuance,\u201d explains Francesco Grosso, senior director for Marea\u2019s restaurant group. \u201cIt adds dimension and roundness while keeping the soul of the drink in tact. The goal is always enhancement, never distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Start off by infusing the Campari. Slice approximately 1 cup of fresh strawberries and add directly to Campari and let sit for 24 hours. Then strain out the fruit before use with a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Next, build all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large cube. Express an orange twist over the drink and place on the rim.<\/p>\n Yes, this drink was actually invented by Dick Bradsell, a British bartender in 1980s London. But its key ingredient\u2014concentrated, expertly-roasted black coffee is a staple of Italian drink culture. And as the cocktail has enjoyed a contemporary resurgence, some of its best modern renderings are attributable to Italian mixologists and Italian-inspired outposts. Like this elaborate assemblage, conceived by Sebastian Viguera at the effortlessly sleek and stylish Gucci Giardino in Osaka, Japan\u2014the world\u2019s second-ever Gucci bar. We\u2019re just warning you now that this is not an endeavor for novices. You\u2019ll need to infuse a flavorful American rye with jasmine as well as procure measures of glucose and tonka perfume. If you\u2019re willing to go the distance, you\u2019ll be rewarded with what we believe to be the tastiest Espresso Martini on earth: Serenade to a Stranger. But if you don\u2019t need to be all sing-songy about it, remember: 2:1:.5\u2014two parts vodka (or tequila), one part freshly brewed espresso, half-part Kahlua.<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n To craft this cocktail, the team begins with a Jasmine-infused high-rye whiskey; soak the shrubs in whiskey overnight and then filter it out using a cheese cloth the following day. Add the resulting infusion into a mixing glass with ice along with fresh-brewed coffee, simple syrup and coffee liqueur. Shake vigorously for at least a minute. Top with a frothy coffee and cream foam and finish with 2\u20133 spritzes of hazelnut and tonka bean perfume out of an atomizer. Place 2\u20133 espresso beans atop the foam is a suitable alternative garnish.<\/p>\n For nearly 80 years, the Bellini has been the signature serve at Harry\u2019s Bar in Venice, Italy. It was invented by the very man who founded the legendary venue, Giuseppe Cipriani\u2014today a legend in his own right. The hallmark light-pink hue of his creation comes courtesy of its indispensable staple ingredient: white peach puree. It\u2019s also what gives the drink its name, as it reminded Cipriani of a color scheme depicted in the work of the Renaissance master, Giovanni Bellini. Simple, sexy, and supremely quaffable, it is a drink that\u2019s forever linked to the most serene city that birthed it. <\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n To make the puree, peel and blend fresh, ripe white peaches until uniformly smooth. Add a couple of raspberries for a pinker color. Strain through mesh sieve for silky texture. Pour two ounces of the cold pur\u00e9e into a chilled champagne flute and slowly top with four ounces of cold sparkling wine. Stir gently to preserve carbonation. Garnish with a peach slice.<\/p>\n \u201cBuilt on the structure of a classic sour, this cocktail is inspired by Italian aperitivo culture, where bitterness is not an accent but a way of life,\u201d says Jason LaBove, lead bartender at Occidental in Denver. He invented this expressive and elegant whiskey-backed victual. \u201cCampari anchors the drink, shaping the balance and stretching the finish with a distinctly Italian sense of restraint. Woody Creek Rye brings spice and structure from the mountains of Colorado, meeting fresh raspberry and lemon for brightness and lift. Egg white softens the palate, allowing the bitterness to arrive slowly and elegantly. A subtle touch of pink peppercorn bridges fruit and bitter with a floral warmth, echoing the alpine aromatics common to aperitivi from the mountainous regions of Italy. The result is a modern Italian inspired sour that opens bright, finishes dry and bitter, and invites another sip.\u201d<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Begin by making the Rasberry syrup. Rinse 1 lb of raspberries in a small pot, add 1\/4 cup pink peppercorns, and 16 oz water, bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, bring it down to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain out solids, keep the liquid. Return raspberry water to the pot and add 2 cups sugar. Stir until dissolved. Allow to cool. Bottle. Shake, Strain. Next, combine the rendered syrup with all other ingredients into a shaker and shake vigorously for around a minute. Pour through a strainer into an ice cold coupe with an optional sugar rim.<\/p>\n If you like your cocktails with a view, you\u2019re going to love what you get at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe<\/a>. The five-star property seated at the foot of the Northstar California Resort affords front-of-lift access to 3,170 acres of skiable terrain. Choose the right Italian cocktail here, and it\u2019s not hard to imagine yourself in Cortina for the Olympic Games. Ivonne Gonzalez is ready to stamp your passed pour. The lead mixologist on property has jazzed up a New Orleans classic with one of Italy\u2019s most prized liquid exports. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Vieux Carre Isle\u00f1o also has a clear nod to Italy through Averna, a Sicilian amaro known for its bittersweet depth,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe herbal layers in the cocktail reflect Italy\u2019s long tradition of botanical liqueurs and fortified wines, where balance and bitterness really shine. This cocktail brings together the Caribbean, New Orleans, and Italy, proving that when different cultures and flavors meet, a little magic happens.” <\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Add the rum, rye whiskey, Averna and Allspice into a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a flamed orange zest. <\/p>\n The idyllic reaches of Australia\u2019s Whitsunday Islands might seem like an unlikely source for Italian comparisons, but pristine sand beaches and cerulean surf is always going to invite a Mediterranean sense of ease. Indeed, the InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef<\/a> pushes out Aperol Spritzes to its sun-soaked clientele at an almost supernatural clip. Part of that is because the collision of icy cold booze and effervescence forever forms a refreshing reprieve from summertime temperatures. But it\u2019s also because the particular rendering here incorporates a bitter tang of gin\u2014or tequila\u2014along with fresh Italian fruit. <\/p>\n \u201cAs one of the country\u2019s most iconic aperitifs, Aperol always brings a touch of Italian flair to the shimmering turquoise waters of the Coral Sea,\u201d adds Brid Ryan, director of food and beverage at the iconic resort. <\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Assemble all ingredients\u2014aside from soda water\u2014into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain and pour into a wine glass over ice. Top up stemware with soda water and apply orange zest garnish. The Old Fashioned cocktail is about as American as apple pie. But if you want to make it as Italian<\/em>-American as pizza<\/em> pie, all you have to do is add some cured meats, naturally. Hear us out\u2014or at least listen to the talented tastemakers at Gusto! The exclamatory Italian eatery inside the Nemacolin Resort<\/a> in Western Pennsylvania has tailor made a savory, meat-studded sipper like no other. Start off with some finely sliced Soppressata\u2014though you can use Guanciale\u2014and slowly render your selection of pork in a pan over mild heat so as not to burn the fat. Once the pork is cooked remove the meat and strain the rendered fat into a separate cup, making sure you have a minimum of 2 1\/2 oz of rendered fat. Fill a 32 oz Mason jar with your bourbon of choice and add in the rendered fat. Close the lid and swirl the fat into the bourbon. Let the bourbon and fat sit at room temperature for four hours before placing it in the freezer overnight. Then, use a cheesecloth to strain the fat out of the bourbon and use this newly-refined liquid as the base for the carnivorous treat to follow.<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Put the large cube in your rocks glass. Add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters. Add a short 1\/4 oz of Demerara sugar. Add fat-washed bourbon. Stir for 10 seconds in the glass. Burn the top half of your rosemary and rim the glass with the garnish while the rosemary is smoking. Add to the top of the drink and serve. Martini <\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to demand from your barkeep an outsized serving of booze in a glass, the Martini stands apart as the most socially acceptable way in which to do it. Apologies to Sir Winston Churchill, but there also ought to be a whisper of Italian vermouth in the composition. The best bartenders of London\u2014who all happen to be Italian by birth\u2014are never ones to forget. Alessandro Palazzi of Dukes famously rolls up to his guests with a trolley laden with frozen bottles of gin and vodka. He then proceeds to rinse equally-chilled glassware with a thimbleful of Italian fortified wine before promptly emptying it out over his shoulder. The pageantry is unparalleled. But it also serves a purpose: an ever-so-slight aromatic curiosity evocative of Mediterranean breeze. There are, of course, so many ways to take your Martini: dry, wet, dirty, filthy. One thing is immutable, however. That base spirit has to be purer\u2014and colder\u2014than the driven snow. <\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Place a martini glass in the freezer at least one hour prior to preparation. Combine liquid ingredients into a mixing glass over ice and stir well\u2014at least 30 seconds\u2014to properly chill and dilute. Remove martini glass from freezer and strain the mixture into the chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or olive.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve grown tired of all the attention paid to that other<\/em> Spritz dominating contemporary cocktail culture, the Italians present you with an equally endearing alternative. It was invented in 2005 in Naturno, a small village at the foothills of the Dolomites in Northern Italy. Accordingly, it has evolved into the preferred pour for apres-ski in this mountainous part of continental Europe. Central to its Alpine appeal is the presence of Prosecco, fresh mint and St-Germain\u2014a sweet-yet-herbal liqueur constructed from hand-picked elderflowers. Although the Hugo actually predates the invention of St-Germain, which didn\u2019t arrive on the scene until 2007, today the drink and cocktail are as inextricably linked as poles and skis.<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Make sure all ingredients are cold before preparation. Fill a large wine glass with ice cubes. Add 8\u20130 mint leaves and 1 1\/2 oz of St-Germain to the glass. Slowly pour in Prosecco, followed by sparkling water. Gently stir with bar spoon to combine, careful not to lose the carbonation. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a lime wedge.<\/p>\n \u201cThis cocktail was designed to really make Campari, the Italian cafe sipping aperitif, stand out on its own without other stronger spirits drowning out the flavor profile,\u201d according to its inventor, Sean Enright. \u201cI decided to use an orange cordial to underscore the citrus notes, and wanted to maintain the Italian heritage of the cocktail by adding basil to the cordial.\u201d<\/p>\n At Spoon, his craft cocktail bar in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Enright builds his own orange cordial using fresh fruit, agave nectar, and basil leaves. It\u2019s an elaborate process that amateur drink makers can avoid altogether by substituting an orange liqueur in its place. Either way, maintain an inventory of freshly-picked basil in your refrigerator at all times. It\u2019s a simple hack for injecting aromatic vibrancy into anything you serve.<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong> <\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Over fresh ice, build in cocktail tin. Shake and double strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with expressed orange peel and a sprig of basil. <\/p>\n The gin and tonic is among the most enduringly popular drinks on the planet. It was invented by British military officers to stave off malaria in colonial India using a base spirit originally hailing from the Netherlands. How is any of this Italian? It\u2019s not. Until you add Strega, the revered herbal liqueur of Benevento. <\/p>\n It\u2019s distinctive yellow hue and deeply minty essence bring an added layer of mystique to an otherwise ordinary preparation. It\u2019s become a pervasive enough riff to merit its own nicknames, including the \u201cWitches G+T,\u201d or the \u201cStregatonic,\u201d if you\u2019re not into the whole brevity thing. Experts of hospitality (and house-made pastas), the folks at Angelini Osteria<\/a> in the hip Fairfax district of Los Angeles have made it a centerpiece of their newly-minted Italian cocktail menu. The secret sauce here is the addition of a small yet crucial finishing touch in the form of star anise. Its herbal unctuousness really ties the whole mood together. <\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Fill a highball or rocks glass with ice. Add the gin and Strega. Top with tonic water. Stir gently to combine. Squeeze the lime wedge over the top and garnish with anise. <\/p>\n The Black Manhattan is an Italian-ified variant of the classic Manhattan, in which Sicilian amaro stands in for sweet vermouth alongside an assertive American rye. It allows for a richer, more robust sipping experience that\u2019s especially delightful as digestivo. \u201cFittingly, it was not born in New York at all, but in San Francisco, where it emerged in the mid-2000s as part of the craft-cocktail movement\u2019s turn toward bitterness, structure, and restraint,\u201d explains Dale Vaughn of Space Bar in Pittsburgh. \u201cThe Black Manhattan showed bartenders that bitterness could be expressive rather than austere.\u201d<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Chill a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for up to an hour prior to preparation. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add all liquid ingredients. Stir well until thoroughly chilled\u2014at least thirty seconds. Strain the mixture into the chilled glass. Serve up with a cherry garnish. <\/p>\n While we\u2019re on the subject of Manhattan riffs, we\u2019d be derelict in our duties if we overlooked this complex classic, a favorite amongst Fernet fans. Truth be told, even for drinkers who are outright resistant to that most polarizing of Italian amari, this is a surefire way to win them over. It first appeared in a cocktail book penned by Robert Vermeire in 1922\u2014a time when many American drinkers would venture up to Ontario\u2019s capital city to escape American Prohibition. Bittersweet with a lasting mentholated sophistication, its allure is universal. In fact, it\u2019s precisely what you need to warm up through a winter night in the Italian Alps. Or, to spiritually transport yourself there while watching the Olympics from the comfort of your living room. Our recipe calls for Canadian rye, to maintain nominative accuracy, but just about any sturdy North American-sourced whiskey will do the trick. <\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Add the liquid ingredients into a mixing glass over ice and stir thoroughly until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, serve up and garnish with an orange twist.<\/p>\n The Italian bonafides of this two-ingredient tipple are myriad. It was allegedly conceived by legendary Italian-American bartender Donato \u201cDuke\u201d Antone\u2014the same maestro responsible for the Harvey Wallbanger, Rusty Nail, and White Russian. Alongside Scotch it relies on Italian amaretto to establish its nutty mouthfeel and sweet-yet-smoky taste profile. It\u2019s named after one of the most famous Italian-American pieces of art ever produced. Legend has it that none other than Marlon Brando himself was instrumental in popularizing the 70s-era drink. We happen to think it\u2019s a criminally underrated cocktail. It mines minimal ingredients and preparation to yield maximized results. And if you\u2019re keen on peatier Scotch, by all means, lean into that smoke. It\u2019s fire, we promise. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Godfather, for me, is emblematic of cocktails from the seventies and eighties,\u201d says Michael Neff, bar director at The Green Door<\/a> in Morgantown, West Virginia. \u201cTwo ingredients cocktails were all the rage, so a pour of something strong with a dash of something sweet to tone it down a bit. In the case of The Godfather, it\u2019s blended Scotch and Amaretto. If you squint, it can sub for a Scotch Old Fashioned, with the sugar and bitter components both originating with the Amaretto.\u201d<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n Build in glass; add Scotch and amaretto to a rocks glass over ice. Stir gently with bar spoon for up to one minute, until mixture is well-chilled. Garnish with an orange or lemon twist if desired.
\nAmericano<\/h2>\n
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\nNegroni<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nToo Bad She\u2019s Bad<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nEspresso Martini <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nSerenade to a Stranger<\/h2>\n
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\nBellini <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nFrom the Rockies to the Dolomites<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nVieux Carr\u00e9 <\/strong>Isle<\/strong>\u00f1<\/strong>o<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nThe Pom Pom <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nSoppressata-Washed Old Fashioned<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nHugo Spritz <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nFumo Rosso <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nWitches G + T<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/witch-g-t-69867472f3a9f.jpg?crop=0.917xw:0.967xh;0.0612xw,0&resize=640:*\" "\\"a")
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\nBlack Manhattan <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nToronto <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nThe Godfather <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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