10 simple yet elegant Italian cocktail recipes to add to your repertoire

• Bellini
• Aperol Spritz
• Campari Spritz
• Hugo Spritz
• Milano-Torino
• Americano
• Negroni
• Negroni Sbagliato
• Cardinale
• Sgroppino al Limone
• Insider's takeaway 

• Everyday Italian life involves drinking these historic Italian cocktails like the Aperol Spritz, the Mi-To, and the Negroni.
• Whether you like fruity, herbaceous, or tart drinks, these classics are a great addition to every cocktail lover's portfolio.
• With their simple composition, each cocktail is easy to make for any occasion.

Cocktail culture is at the center of Italian life — aperitivo, the post-work pre-dinner drinking tradition, is an essential activity when visiting Italy. Everyone relaxes on alfresco patios and drinks their aperitif of choice while gossiping with friends. World renowned bartender Joy Napolitano grew up in this environment, learning in his father's bar from an early age, and now owns one of Rome's finest cocktail bars, The Barbershop Speakeasy. 

I spoke with Napolitano about the history behind Italy's iconic concoctions. To introduce you to the elegant world of Italian cocktails, we rounded up 10 quintessential recipes that will expand your summertime beverage portfolio. 

Bellini

Ingredients:

• 2 oz fresh peach purée
• 4 oz Prosecco
• 4 white peaches

Start your day with the Bellini, a truly classic Italian cocktail. This sparkling drink is perfect for a hot summer brunch, or you can make a pitcher and pour the crowd a glass at a picnic. The Bellini can be overly sweet, but when delicately balanced, it shines brighter than a mimosa any day. 

To make a Bellini, you must first make a peach purée. Blanch the white peaches (these are the traditional choice of Italians) in boiling hot water for 20 seconds and then transfer to an ice bath. Gently peel off the skin and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth. Making a fresh purée will change your Bellini game, I promise. Next, just combine the purée and chilled Prosecco in a Champagne flute and enjoy.

"We don't serve this drink at the Barbershop, but we have to say that it is an Italian Classic," says Napolitano. "Created in 1948 at Harry's Bar in Venice by Giuseppe Cipriani, it represents an ancient Italian custom of eating peaches with wine. Cipriani created the drink and dedicated it to the painter Giovanni Bellini, creating a true classic of world mixing." 

Quick tip: If you're not a fan of peaches, substitute for raspberries, strawberries, or any berry of choice.

Aperol Spritz

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Prosecco
• 2 oz Aperol
• 1 oz soda water
• Garnish: orange slice

The Aperol Spritz is likely the most well-known Italian aperitivo worldwide. The bright and sweet orange flavor melds beautifully with Aperol's natural bitterness. This Spritz blends two essential mixers together: sparkling wine and amaro, an herbal liqueur made by infusing a neutral liquor with herbs, flowers, and spices. Aperol, made of gentin and rhubarb, was invented in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers in Padua. In the 1950s, the Aperol Spritz (inspired by the German word for splash) was born. 

To prepare, simply pour all three ingredients into an ice-filled, wide-mouthed wine glass and stir. Garnish with an orange slice.

The Aperol Spritz is the perfect at-home cocktail to start the night with. Thanks to its low 11% ABV, you can drink an early cocktail as you're preparing a meal for one or a dinner party to share with friends.

Campari Spritz

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Prosecco
• 2 oz Campari 
• 1 oz soda water
• Garnish: orange slice

Don't love Aperol's orange flavor profile and want something a bit more bitter? Meet Campari, another of Italy's famous amaros. Invented by Gaspare Campari in 1860, this bright red aperitif is made with alcohol, water, and a secret blend of herbs, plants, and fruits. The Campari Spritz is refreshing, herbaceous, and less sweet than its counterpart. It pairs exceptionally well with a traditional aperitivo snack: potato chips. 

To make this spritz, pour all three ingredients into an ice-filled glass and stir. Garnish with an orange slice.

Fun fact: Campari originally got its signature color from the red dye carmine, made from crushed cochineal insects, but the company transitioned to vegan methods in 2006.

Hugo Spritz

Ingredients:

• 1 oz St-Germain
• 1 mint sprig
• 3 oz Prosecco
• 2 oz soda water
• Garnish: mint sprig, lime wheel

For something sweeter and more floral than a classic Spritz, try the Hugo. The addition of St. Germain, made of distilled grapes and flavored with fresh elderberries, lends a delicate fruitiness to the traditional pairing of Prosecco and citrus. This modern take on a Spritz originated in the north of Italy by bar owner Roland Gruber in 2005 and soon became popular in the bordering countries of Germany and Austria. 

To make the Hugo Spritz, tuck a sprig of mint at the bottom of a wide-mouthed wine glass. Top with the St. Germain and lightly muddle. Add ice, the Processo, and soda water. Garnish with an additional mint spring and a wheel of lime.

Milano-Torino

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz Vermouth di Torino
• Garnish: orange slice

"These [next few] drinks are the epitome of the Italian aperitif. They are born from the union of two of the most important ingredients of Italian mixing: Vermouth di Torino and the historic Milanese red bitter, Campari," says Napolitano.

There's no Italian cocktail without the invention of the Milano-Torino. First prepared at Gaspare Campari's café in 1860, the Mi-To (nicknamed for its cities of origin Milan and Turin) is the predecessor of the well-known Negroni, the lighter Americano, and the stronger Cardinale. 

To prepare a Mi-To, simply pour equal parts of each ingredient into a glass with ice and stir.

Americano

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Campari 
• 1 oz Vermouth di Torino 
• Splash of soda water
• Garnish: orange twist or slice

To get this drink, you start with the Mi-To recipe. "If we add a splash of soda we obtain an Americano," says Napoliatano. 

Another Gaspare Campari invention, the Americano is a classic, lower ABV version of the Campari Spritz. The addition of the Vermouth di Torino adds another level of bitterness, if the Campari Spritz isn't a strong enough flavor for you. 

Fun fact: The Americano is said to have gotten its name from the American influence in Italy during the prohibition era.

Negroni

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin
• 1 oz Vermouth di Torino
• 3/4 oz bitters

"Finally, if we replace the soda with a third part of London Dry Gin, we obtain a Negroni," explains Napolitano. A personal favorite of mine, the Negroni is offered on almost every single Italian bar menu. Its richness rivals the Old Fashioned and Manhattan, while the bitterness brought on by the combination of Vermouth di Torino and dry gin lend a unique herbaceous quality that makes it unlike any other spirit-forward cocktail on a menu. 

"Legend has it that the drink was mixed for the first time in Florence in 1919, at the ancient Caffè Casoni; it seems that Count Camillo Negroni, returning from England, asked the bartender, Fosco Scarselli for a 'customized' Americano with added gin. The drink soon became popular as the Americano di Negroni and later Negroni, becoming one of the most classic aperitifs in the world," shares Napolitano. 

Having personally tried many Negronis and luckily, The Barbershop's special concoction, I can firmly say that theirs was the most smooth and well-balanced I've ever tried. Usually, the Negroni's ingredients are measured one to one, but The Barbershop (recipe featured above) tweaks these to make their version.

Negroni Sbagliato

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Prosecco
• 1 oz Vermouth di Torino
• 1 oz Campari
• Garnish: orange slice

The Negroni Sbagliato — literally translated to "wrong" or "mistaken" Negroni — was invented by bartender Mirko Stocchetto in 1972 at Bar Basso, a traditional international bar in Milan that has been open since 1947. Legend has it that while preparing the classic Negroni, Mirko mistakenly grabbed a bottle of Prosecco instead of gin. Thus, a lighter, lower ABV version of the beloved Negroni was born.

To prepare the "mistaken" Negroni, pour the vermouth and Campari into a glass with ice and stir. Top with Processo and an orange slice.

Cardinale

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin
• 1 1/2 oz Campari
• 1 1/2 oz dry French vermouth
• Garnish: orange twist

Craving a drier variation on the classics above? Napolitano describes the invention of the Cardinale: "In 1950, however, at the Hotel Excelsior in Rome, Giovanni Raimondo, the hotel's bartender, created a slight variation on the Negroni by substituting Italian vermouth with French vermouth, giving a drier tinge to the count's cocktail."

To prepare the Cardinale, simply pour all three ingredients into a glass with ice and stir. Then strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Sgroppino al Limone

Ingredients:

• 2 scoops lemon sorbet
• 2 oz Prosecco 
• 1 oz Vodka

To finish off a summer night, there's nothing better than a frozen refreshment. Originating in the Veneto region of Italy, the Sgroppino al Limone is a bright, tart, and boozy cocktail. It was initially a palate cleanser in between courses, but it is now more often enjoyed as a dessert. Between your frozen margaritas and piña coladas, break it up with a Sgroppino.  

To make this refreshing frozen drink, blend all ingredients in a blender and top with a splash more of Prosecco. 

Quick tip: If you're looking for a creamier consistency, use lemon ice cream instead of sorbet or add a splash of whole milk to the original recipe.

Insider's takeaway 

With a few quintessential ingredients, you can create a balanced yet boldly flavorful Italian cocktail at home that honors its history. From the fruity peach Bellini to the bitter and herbaceous Mi-To, cocktail lovers will find their new favorite drink among these classics.

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