Italy Drinks

Traditional Italian Drinks & Beverages

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Last updated:
28.02.2022

It goes without saying that an integral part of any vacation to a foreign country is tasting its local cuisine and drinks. Luckily, there are many Italian beverages to choose from and we’ve put together a short overview of them.

What is Italy's national drink?

It's difficult to single out only one beverage when there are actually many traditional Italian drinks. The most famous Italian liquor is indeed Limoncello or Limoncino which is made of lemons. As a rule, locals prefer to have a light alcoholic aperitif drink before a meal, and the most common Italian aperitivo is Campari. Aperol, Aperol Spritz, Martini, and Cinzano are among other widespread Italian alcohol which you can taste.

Aperitivo

Negroni

The Negroni cocktail was created in 1919 in Florence, in the Caffè Giacosa bar, located on Tornabuoni Street. The story tells about Count Camillo Negroni, who asked the bartender Luigi Scarselli to replace soda with gin in the Americano cocktail. The new cocktail was called "Fashionable Americano from Count Negroni." Later, only the count's surname remained. The Negroni recipe is based on three equal parts of gin, campari, and vermouth, mixed and poured into a low and wide glass of old fashion, decorated with a slice of orange.

When the Negroni cocktail gained popularity, various variations on this theme appeared, but the greatest success came to the "Erroneous Negroni." The mycological blunder happened in 1969, Mirko Stockatto, the historic Milan bar Basso bartender, added prosecco instead of gin. Many people liked the sparkling version.

Negroni

Exotic Negroni

  • 30 milliliters of red vermouth and Campari liqueur
  • 15 milliliters of tequila and mezcal
  • as well as chocolate, ice, and orange peel

Americano

Cocktail "Americano," despite its name, is a 100% Italian product invented in Milan. He became the predecessor of Negroni and the forerunner of Milan - Turin. The cocktail is made from the beater, red vermouth, and soda. There are different versions of the origin of the cocktail. One of them says that the drink appeared in the 1930s. The other calls the year 1860 and indicates the Camparino bar in Milan. It is assumed that the cocktail is named after the boxer Primo Carner, who became the first Italian heavyweight world champion at a competition in America.

Americano

How to serve Americano?
The cocktail ideally increases appetite, so it is drunk before meals. Served in capacious glasses, such as old-fashion or highball; decorated with lemon or orange slice. There are disputes about a tube for drinking hot drinks, but I think everyone can determine for himself how to drink Americano - through a straw or directly from a glass. The appetizer is the main course, pizza, ravioli, mozzarella salad, cheeses, or citrus slicing.

Best-known Italian wines

Wondering how much wine does Italy drink? The answer is a lot! But even more so, Italy produces approximately 45 to 50 million hectoliters of wine every year, making it one of the largest wine producers in Europe and the entire world.

Wine

There are 20 wine regions in Italy, each specializing in their own type of high-quality wine. The most famous region of them is, of course, Tuscany. Perhaps, the most popular white wine of Italy is Prosecco and the best-recognized red wine is Sangiovese. You can learn more about different wines of Italy by region in this Italy Wine Guide. And check out our collection of best wine tours in Italy!

Some of the must-visit wine regions in Italy:

  • Piedmont;
  • Veneto;
  • Emilia-Romagna;
  • Tuscany;
  • Calabria;
  • Marche.

Italian coffee

Big fan of espresso, latte macchiato or cappuccino? Did you know that these are all Italian words? The culture of coffee-drinking in Italy plays a special role in the everyday life of the locals and, surprisingly, coffee is a very popular drink of Italy. One of the most famous Italian coffee brands is Lavazza coffee, so make sure to taste a cup during your trip to Italy.

Coffee

Worldwide Popularity:
Many brands such as Starbucks market coffee branded as "Italian Dark Roast" because Italian coffee is known for its high quality blends. Despite its popularity around the world, this coffee does not grow in Italy.

Aranciata

Aranciata is a drink based on orange juice, water, sugar, and carbon dioxide. This is a more natural analog of Fanta, invented in 1932. The company Sanpelligrino (Sanpellegrino) produces Aranciata in two versions: ordinary and bitter. Thanks to the high water quality and the natural taste of orange, the drink has overtaken its American counterpart in sales.

Aranciata

Crodino

Crodino is a non-alcoholic Italian aperitif. It appeared on the beverage market on December 1, 1964, under the name Picador, then became "Blonde" (Biondino), and on July 14, 1965, acquired its final modern name. Although, the recipe of the drink is kept secret. It is only known that there are cloves, cardamom, coriander, and nutmeg among the components. The solution is infused in oak barrels to give it a characteristic bitterness. Krodino has an orange color and a spicy taste. It is consumed independently and as part of non-alcoholic cocktails.

Crodino

Sugar Crodino
Crodino contains a lot of sugar, and therefore it is customary to serve it before meals to increase appetite. Cordino can be served with light bruschettas or full-fledged dishes like pasta and pizza.

Can you drink Italy tap water?

Although the tap water in Italy is of good quality, it is not advisable to drink it. It is safe to drink water from the tap but it might not taste good and thus it's better to consume bottled water.

Tap water

Interestingly though, in Rome there are over 2500 drinking fountains dotting the city with absolutely safe to drink water that comes from ancient aqueducts. These fountains are called "nasoni", most of them are hundreds of years old and are part of the water network developed way back in the Roman Empire and still function perfectly today.

The colorful world of gastronomy in Italy is not limited to mouth-watering dishes only; therefore, getting acquainted with local specialties and popular choices when it comes to drinks is equally important. Are you up for a cup of high-quality Italian coffee or an aperitif with postcard-like views around you? It is all part of the unforgettable Italy travel experience.