Italy is a country of good food but also of good drinking, which does not only mean wine but also involves tasting stronger drinks like liqueurs, which have now become part of Italian history and tradition. The most famous and appreciated Italian liqueurs are often those that have also been successful abroad. Here is a list of the most famous Italian spirits:
Top 16 Italian Spirit and Liquors
Contents
Amaro Fernet Branca
Amaretto di Saronno
Campari
Grappa Nardini
Amaro Lucano
Limoncello
Sambuca Molinari
Liquore Strega
Cynar
Amaro Montenegro
Vov
Aperol
Mirto
Amaro Averna
Amarelli Licorice liqueur
Vecchio Amaro del Capo
Amaro Fernet Branca
Fernet Branca is a historic Italian bitter, produced using over 27 herbs from all over the world, whose complete recipe is still a secret. Created in 1847 by Beniamino Fernet and originally used as a medicine against malaria and cholera, this liqueur has reached the present day, becoming an excellent digestive.
Amaretto di Saronno
Amaretto di Saronno is an aromatic liqueur based on herbs and bitter almonds, usually used at the end of a meal. This preparation has an alcohol content of 28% and is mainly drunk after meals to promote digestion. It boasts origins dating back to 1500: legend has it that Amaretto was born in the city of Saronno thanks to the creativity of a mysterious local innkeeper. Like many other Italian digestives, it can be easily prepared at home.
Campari
Among the most famous Italian liqueurs in the world, Campari cannot be missing. The bitterness is obtained from a mixture of different herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit mixed with water and alcohol. But the actual recipe is top secret. With an intense aroma and an unmistakable ruby red color, it is the basis of several successful co*cktails served worldwide.
Grappa is the most famous Italian distillate and is one of the most used liqueurs in bars all over the world. It is made exclusively from grapes produced and vinified in Italy. The Bortolo Nardini distillery, based in Bassano del Grappa, is the oldest one in Italy and produces one of the most appreciated and sold single-variety grappas internationally.
Amaro Lucano
It is the bitter symbol of Basilicata. The invention of the recipe is due to Pasquale Vena, owner of a small biscuit factory in Pisticci, mixing medicinal herbs and sugar. The recipe for this famous liqueur, like that of many others, remains a secret today. Excellent to be enjoyed frozen after dinner.
Limoncello
Limoncello (or limoncino) is perhaps the best known and most loved Italian liqueur in the world. It is the typical Campania liqueur, produced starting from the lemon peel (the original recipe calls for the use of Amalfi or Sorrento lemons), macerated in alcohol, and mixed with a syrup based on water and sugar. Born in the early twentieth century, it is a very young liqueur; its fame, however, has spread rapidly throughout the world. Furthermore, limoncello is among all the distillates of the Italian liqueur that is mostly made at home.
Sambuca Molinari
Sambuca is a sweet liqueur obtained by infusing star anise and fennel essential oils in water, sugar, and alcohol, which gives it its distinctive flavor and a penetrating but pleasant smell. The original recipe involves the use of the elderberry plant (hence the name) and derives, according to the most accredited sources, from the Carthusian herbal tradition. Not everyone knows that sambuca is originally from Civitavecchia, near Rome. Sambuca, also called Carthusian liqueur, was launched internationally starting in 1945 by the Molinari brand.
Another world-famous Italian distillate is Liquore Strega, which stands out for its recipe based on 70 herbs and spices, including cinnamon, juniper, and mint. The intense yellow color and the characteristic bitter-sweet taste contribute to the success of this typical Italian liqueur at an international level. The Strega liqueur has an alcohol content of 40% and is considered a digestive, to be drunk after meals. Its yellow color is due to the presence of saffron.
Cynar
Cynar was born as a digestive, although today it is used as an aperitif and mixed with other spirits, such as white wine. It is a typical Italian liqueur obtained from a mixture of 13 aromatic herbs. What most distinguishes this distillate is the artichoke leaves, which is the main ingredient of the recipe, which give this historic liqueur its unmistakable aroma. Created as a digestive by the Venetian Angelo Dalle Molle in 1948, it is now an integral part of Italian popular culture.
Amaro Montenegro
Montenegro is one of the most famous and appreciated historical Italian bitters in the world. In 1885 Stanislao Cobianchi opened a small liquor company in Bologna. Passionate about spices and herbs, he created a product with a unique flavor, which he dedicated to Elena Petrovich, Princess of Montenegro and future Queen of Italy. Its amber color and its particular aroma derive from the blend of different aromatic herbs, which have made Montenegro one of the best known and most loved Italian digestives both in Italy and abroad.
Vov
Vov is a typical Italian egg-based liqueur. This amaro was created in 1845 by Gian Battista Pezziol, a pastry chef originally from Padua, who decided to combine the yolks (not knowing what to do with the many egg yolks leftover from making nougats) with sugar, alcohol, and marsala to create an alcoholic zabajone. This super energetic zabaione takes its name from the Venetian term “vovi,” which means “eggs.” The preparation of homemade egg liqueur is quite easy and, simply by following the recipe, it is possible to obtain results that have nothing to envy of the most famous and expensive preparations on the market.
Aperol
Created in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers in Bassano del Grappa (in Veneto), Aperol is an alcoholic aperitif that is immediately recognizable thanks to its red-orange color and quite bitter taste. The recipe for this distillate, with its 11 degrees, has remained secret and unchanged for all these years: it involves the use of orange alcohol, herbs (including rhubarb), and roots. Becoming famous, especially in the 60s and 70s, Aperol is now back in vogue mainly because it is used to make one of the most popular co*cktails ever, namely the Spritz, a very popular co*cktail in Veneto (and not only) before the hour of dinner.
Mirto
Myrtle is the most popular liqueur of Sardinia and is obtained from the alcoholic maceration of myrtle berries, a typical plant of the Mediterranean scrub. Myrtle is generally red in color, but there is also a white version made from the plant’s white berries. Appreciated both as a digestive and as an aperitif, Sardinian myrtle – this is the official name – is often prepared at home, an aspect that is a source of pride for many Sardinians. On the island, it is possible to taste a good myrtle almost everywhere, not being tied to a particular city.
Amaro Averna
It is one of the most famous bitters in Italy, born in Sicily in the XIX century. The city that gave birth to Amaro Averna is Caltanissetta; here, the friars had the habit of producing an infusion of herbs with a slightly bitter taste and markedly therapeutic qualities; the recipe was passed to Salvatore Averna, son of a wealthy family of merchants, who founded the company of the same name, still known today. Amaro Averna is dark in color, has an alcohol content of 29%, and can be drunk both as a digestive and as a summer drink, to be consumed with lots of ice.
Amarelli Licorice liqueur
One of the typical liqueurs of Calabria is the one based on licorice. For a very specific reason: here is the best licorice in the world, exported and used in every corner of the planet. The liqueur is produced from the root powder and is excellent both consumed after meals, as a digestive, and cold to cool off (it is ideal served cold or with ice). The oldest and most famous liquorice liquor factory is called Amarelli, founded in 1731 in Rossano Calabro, in the province of Cosenza.
Vecchio Amaro del Capo
Another herbal liqueur from Calabria is Vecchio Amaro del Capo, the result of an ancient Calabrian recipe produced by the Caffo Distillery. The Vecchio Amaro del Capo contains the active ingredients of many herbs, flowers, fruits, and roots of the land of Calabria, to help digestion, including bitter orange, sweet orange, licorice, mandarin, chamomile, and juniper. With an aromatic taste, it should be drunk iced (at –20 ° C) to enhance the characteristics of the particular herbs that compose it. Vecchio Amaro del Capo is among Italy’s most popular and sold bitters.
Campari - Characterized by its dark red color and bitter flavor, Campari is the National Drink of Italy. Born in the Piedmont city of Novara, this distinct Italian alcoholic liqueur is made from the infusion of herbs and fruit in alcohol and water.
What is amaretto? Amaretto is an almond-flavored liqueur that originates from Italy, invented back in 1851. It tastes both sweet and bitter (amaretto means in Italian “l*ttle bitter”). It has such a distinctive flavor, once you've had it once: you'll remember it forever.
Campari, Aperol, Cynar and vermouth are all popular aperitivi. In contrast, digestivi are higher-alcohol liqueurs sipped after a meal to aid digestion – think limoncello, sambuca, amaro or grappa. A new breed of spirit producers are also putting Italian gin on the map.
When we say Italy, Pizza, Pasta and the famous Rome come to our mind. Italy is worldwide famous for its Art, culture, food, beautiful location, and architecture.
Strega became well known for its colourful and artistic advertising. One poster was designed in 1906 by in the art nouveau style. Strega is the Italian word for "witch" and since legends of witchcraft at Benevento date back to the time of the Lombard invasion, it was a natural choice of name for the liqueur.
Drinks in Italy include wine, beer, vermouth, dessert wines, liquors, and liqueurs. Some of them are consumed as aperitifs and some as digestives. Although many of them can be drunk both before and after a meal, you might get a raised eyebrow if you order it at the wrong time.
Popular Roman co*cktails include the Negroni: gin, Campari and red vermouth; the Negroni Sbagliato: prosecco, Campari, and red vermouth; and the Campari Soda. Many bars will have a list of original proprietary co*cktails for you to try as well.
Simply put, the Italian digestif or digestivo is an alcoholic drink served after dinner to help with digestion. This type of Italian liquor is different than some of the more commonly known classic Italian co*cktails like the Campari Spritz.
One of the most popular Italian drinks is the homemade limoncello. It's made of lemon peel by adding water, alcohol, and sugar; brown sugar is preferred. Make sure to never use the white part of the lemon if you ever try to recreate it – only the green peel will do.
The Italian word for cheers is either “Salute” or “Cin Cin”. This is usually followed by “alla nostra salute”, which means “to your health”. If you would like to make a toast, you would say “fare un brindisi”. Italians love to say “cin cin” because it recalls the sound of glass touching when making the toast.
Italian digestivo are alcoholic after dinner drinks, usually served in a small glass, straight, as a shot. Like the name suggests, they are meant to aid digestion after a substantial meal (digestivo in Italian means 'digestive'). They come in several types, some sweet some bitter.
It's proper name Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic), Nickname: “Bel Paese” which means beautiful country. Rome its capital city was founded in 753BC. More than 98% of Italian's can read and write. The official language is Italian as well as German and in some regions in Northern Italy.
Homemade breakfast in Italy is usually a straightforward affair. Traditional breakfast drinks in Italian households are coffee, tea and cocoa milk for the kids and the main breakfast foods are bread with butter and jam, biscuits and cereals.
Italy is famous for the Renaissance and the incredible artists it produced. Italy is famous for its tourism, its art cities and unique scenery. Italy is also known for its language, its opera, its fashion and its luxury brands. It is also known for its football team!
Amaro (Italian for 'bitter') is an Italian herbal liqueur that is commonly consumed as an after-dinner digestif. It usually has a bitter-sweet flavour, sometimes syrupy, and has an alcohol content between 16% and 40%.
Sambuca (Italian pronunciation: [samˈbuːka]) is an Italian anise-flavoured, usually colourless, liqueur. Its most common variety is often referred to as white sambuca to differentiate it from other varieties that are deep blue (black sambuca) or bright red (red sambuca).
An aperitivo is a pre-meal drink; the experience of aperitivo is a cultural ritual. Derived from the Latin aperire, the tradition is meant “to open” the stomach before dining. Accordingly, for centuries Italians have said cheers – cin cin – over drinks and appetizers in the early evening hours between work and dinner.
While wine is common, aperitivo hour is the perfect time to try a classic Italian drink, like the bitter Campari or the slightly less bitter Aperol. Both are fantastic mixed with soda, or in a slightly sweeter Spritz (sparkling wine, soda, and Campari or Aperol).
An alcoholic beverage prized the world over is beer, known as birra in Italian. Like its English counterpart, its origin can ultimately be traced back to the German Bier. Birra is a feminine noun whose plural form is birre.
What do Italians drink? Whether you're sitting in an 18th-century café in San Marco Square or a cosy hole-in-the-wall wine bar along the canal, you'll find classic Venice co*cktails lining the menu. Aperol Spritz is the city's signature drink, dating back to the Spritz Veneziano of the 1920s.
Champagne is one of the top French alcoholic drinks consumed around the world. Champagne is one of the country's most popular alcoholic beverages worldwide for its elegance and sophisticated taste.
Caffè Also know as caffè normale, caffè is the foundation of any Italian coffee drink. A caffè is simply an espresso, served black and only in one shot increments. Rather than ordering a doppio, or double, Italians will traditionally make a return trip to the barista if they're in need of more caffeine.
Chinotto (Italian: [kiˈnɔtto]) is a type of carbonated soft drink produced from the juice of the fruit of the myrtle-leaved orange tree (Citrus myrtifolia). The beverage is dark in color. Its appearance is similar to that of cola, but not as sweet, having a bittersweet taste.
When we think of Italy, sumptuous meals come to mind, but “passeggiata,” the Italian tradition of taking a stroll after meals, may be just as much fun, and even healthier. Italians do not slip on sneakers or spandex. They simply stand up after a meal, walk outside, and take a short stroll.
The day is defined by coffee rituals: a cappuccino with breakfast, a caffè macchiato – or two – as an afternoon pick-me-up, and espresso after dinner. And like any culture, that of Italian coffee comes with seemingly mysterious laws.
In most of the weddings, wine is a preferable drink. The drinks are served by the groomsmen. Next comes the meal – Italians just love food, and so, you will find a variety of delicious and exquisite dishes being served to the guests.
Vin brulé Among the most typical Italian winter drinks is mulled wine (vin brulé), which becomes a real must during the holiday season. It's a wine-based drink, usually red wine, enriched with spices, such as cinnamon and cloves, orange, apple and lemon.
1. Vodka Martini. It would be sacrilegious to talk about the best manly drinks and not mention James Bond, the epitome of “manly,” and his favorite drink, the Vodka Martini.
The most popular Italian soft drinks are orange soda, lemon soda, co*ke, citron drinks, chinotto and tonic water, but also ice tea, all sorts of alcohol-free aperitifs, and energy and sports drinks.
Barolo is undoubtedly one of the most famous wines from Italy appreciated internationally due to its complexity, elegance and extraordinary aging potential.
Why do Italians say chin chin? Chin Chin seems to derive from an ancient Cantonese greeting (qǐng qǐng – 请请). This expression became popular among European merchants, who transcribed it as chin chin. The Italians liked it a lot because it reminded them of the sound of clinking glasses, and they adopted it as a toast.
Why do Italians drink coffee after dinner? “The espresso after dinner is ordered only if the meal was heavy, and they also 'correct' the espresso by adding grappa, known as 'the corretto,'” Milos says. The habit might also have to do with the fact that Italians stay up later.
An aperitif is an alcoholic Italian drink served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. An aperitif is traditionally a glass of wine or a dry, bitter, low-alcohol co*cktail. This drink is usually enjoyed with small bite-sized foods and snacks. Together, this is known as aperitivo.
When Italians need a little caffeine in the afternoon, they drink an espresso. But they don't call it espresso, because in Italy it's just coffee (or caffé). To order a shot of espresso in Italy, “you would just say caffè,” explains Milos. Espresso is the technical term and caffé is the drink.
Have you ever wondered why the Italian do not get fat despite an abundance of pizza, pasta, and dairy? Well, it is because of the Mediterranean diet! People in Italy enjoy a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, beans, tomatoes, poultry, whole grains, olive oil, red wine, dairy ― and they consume very little red meat.
Summary. The habit of serving a glass of water with coffee is increasingly common in the bars of our country. This custom was born in the ancient Italian roasters, where roasters offered water to those who went to visit them to better prepare the palate for the coffee taste.
A popular Italian tradition, it is typically served after dessert and coffee courses at the end of a meal, aiding digestion, settling the stomach and prolonging the sociable ambience of dining.
It should come as no surprise that wine is one of the most popular Italian drinks. Both the production and consumption of wine play an important role in Italian history and culture. But going to a bar in Italy and ordering a 'glass of wine' is a sure-fire way of pointing yourself out as a tourist.
One of the most popular Italian drinks is the homemade limoncello. It's made of lemon peel by adding water, alcohol, and sugar; brown sugar is preferred. Make sure to never use the white part of the lemon if you ever try to recreate it – only the green peel will do.
Here is a list of some of the most famous drinks that characterize Aperitivo: Aperol Spritz: It is considered to be the most favourite drink by Italians, especially during the summer thanks to its vibrant colours as well as its moderate alcohol content. Ingredients: 1/3 of Aperol Campari, 1/3 Prosecco, 1/3 Soda.
Traditional breakfast drinks in Italian households are coffee, tea and cocoa milk for the kids and the main breakfast foods are bread with butter and jam, biscuits and cereals.
Coca-Cola Classic is the world's most popular caffeinated soft drink and it is produced by The Coca-Cola Company, a multinational corporation. Tea is the most consumed manufactured drink in the world, leading to the popularity of manufactured herbal drinks.
Popular Roman co*cktails include the Negroni: gin, Campari and red vermouth; the Negroni Sbagliato: prosecco, Campari, and red vermouth; and the Campari Soda.
While wine is common, aperitivo hour is the perfect time to try a classic Italian drink, like the bitter Campari or the slightly less bitter Aperol. Both are fantastic mixed with soda, or in a slightly sweeter Spritz (sparkling wine, soda, and Campari or Aperol).
Italian dinner or la cena, usually from 8:00 to 10:00pm, is another time that Italians enjoy sitting down together and socializing. Dinner can be much later than 10:00pm, especially if eating out or dining at a friend's house.
When to have dinner in Rome: 8 p.m.–12 a.m. As you might've guessed, Romans tend to have dinner much later than other European countries. Especially if you had aperitivo beforehand.
More than just the Italian equivalent of happy hour, aperitivo is that blissful moment between the end of work and the business of dinner. It is a time to catch up with friends, enjoy a well-earned co*cktail, and simply reflect on the day and future plans.
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