10 Iconic Italian Cocktails

Classic Italian Cocktails

Mastroianni’s class, Sean Connery’s style, Humphrey Bogart’s charm- these icons always looked their best at the bar counter, where an elegant barman served impeccable cocktails in Martini glasses or pure crystal tumblers.

It’s a world away from the tacky bartenders and plastic glasses we sometimes encounter, but fortunately, the cocktail myth lives on.

Italy has played a massive part in reinforcing the appeal and glamor of cocktails. The cocktail trend took off in the fifties, and Italy, with its deep sense of fashion and design, was ideally suited to the ritual of cocktail preparation, the service in uniquely shaped glasses. Italians welcomed the latest drink trends that had freshly arrived from the States. But Italy also innovated with the creation of new cocktail recipes. As a result, Barmen and notable drinkers left their legacy to the next generations.

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Here are ten of the best Italian cocktails, certainly the most Iconic:

1. Americano

Category: Pre-dinner
Ingredients: 5/10 Vermouth Rosso, 5/10 Bitter Campari, Soda Water
Preparation: Stir directly in an Old-fashioned ice-filled glass, top it up with soda water, and garnish with a slice of orange

2. Negroni

Category: Pre-dinner
Ingredients: 1/3 Vermouth Rosso, 1/3 Bitter Campari, 1/3 Dry Gin.
Preparation: Served on the rocks, you need to use a medium tumbler or an old-fashioned glass, stir the ingredients directly in your glass, and garnish with a half slice of orange and lemon peel.

3. Cardinale

Category: Pre-dinner
Ingredients: 5/10 Gin, 3/10 Vermouth dry, 2/10 Bitter Campari
Preparation: Also, Cardinale fancies the Old fashioned ice-filled glass, chilled. Stir and serve

4. Bellini

Category: All-day
Ingredients: 3/10 Nettare di Pesca (peach juice), 7/10 Spumante Brut (Prosecco is traditional)
Preparation: Build it directly in a Champagne flute, pouring peach juice first, and then Spumante Brut. No decorations unless you feel very creative.

5. Rossini

Category: All-day
Ingredients: 3/10 Nettare di fragole (strawberry juice), 7/10 Spumante Brut
Preparation: It is a variation of the Bellini. Same preparation. Should you feel like experimenting with further variations, we suggest you try as well Mimosa (orange + brut), il Tiziano (“strawberry grapes” + Brut), ed il Puccini (mandarin + Brut)

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6. Gin and It

Category: Pre-meal
Ingredients: 3/10 Vermouth Rosso, 7/10 Gin
Preparation: Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass and serve in a cocktail cup with a red cherry.

7. Aperol Spritz

Category: Pre-meal
Ingredients: Aperol 2/10, Prosecco 8/10, Seltzer
Preparation: Fill a tumbler or a red wine glass with ice, pour Aperol and Prosecco, and top it with Soda water. Garnish with a slice of orange.

8. Martini Cocktail

Category: Aperitivo
Ingredients: 8/10 Gin, 2/10 Vermouth dry.
Preparation: This is tricky; Martini lovers get emotional about how they want it, and bartenders sometimes can’t keep up with them. The original recipe says you must pour in an ice-filled mixing glass gin and Vermouth dry, stir well, and serve in a chilled cocktail glass. Please don’t forget a green olive and lemon peel. There are many variations of this cocktail; here, you can find some of them: Perfect Martini, Sweet Martini, Smoky Martini, Dirty Martini, Vodka Martini, Gibson, and Martinez.

9. Angelo Azzurro

Category: After dinner (very…)
Ingredients: 6/10 Gin, 3/10 Triple Sec o Cointreau, 1/10 Blue Curacao
Preparation: Pour the ingredients into the shaker, shake well, and serve in an ice-filled or cocktail cup. No garnish is needed.

10. God Father

Category: After dinner
Ingredients: 3/10 Amaretto di Saronno, 7/10 Scotch Whisky
Preparation: Pour the ingredients into an ice-filled Old fashioned glass and stir well. From the States, we got the female version of it, God Mother (3/10 Amaretto di Saronno, 7/10 Vodka)