Top Italian Cocktails for a Celebration

Whether you are curled up at home with the cat, enjoying some festive boardgames with family or spending this time with flatmates, let us all raise a glass for getting through another tough year! In honour of the fast approaching 2022, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to all our favourite Italian cocktails, some wintery and a few summery ones to help you get into the holiday spirit! Whether you wish to create a romantic Venetian atmosphere in your dining room or emulate a charming terrace in Positano from your own back garden, with these simple cocktail recipes, linked below, and our tips for setting the scene, you’ll be transported to Italia in no time!

Winter-Inspired Tipples

The Winter Warmer

Whilst not strictly a cocktail, we can’t get enough Vin Brulé at the moment and this festive, full-bodied wine recipe will be sure to get you in the mood for some festive cheer! We recommend preparing this particular drink en masse, perhaps ahead of NYE celebrations, to ensure there’s enough to go round all of your guests. And if you really want to impress, prepare a large vat about ten minutes before your friends and family are due to arrive so that the room is filled with the delicious aroma of cinnamon, citrus and cloves - the smell will transport you to one of Bologna’s festive winter markets! For more wine related recipes, also check our wine pairing wheel to create the perfect pasta pairing.

The Sophisticated Soirée

If you’re more inclined to hosting a fancy Italianesque dinner party, then a few sophisticated cocktails will not go amiss. We suggest serving a few select drinks an hour or so before the meal commences, to help the conversation flow as your guests mingle. In Italy this period is known as the aperitivo hour, and is a sacred time reserved for being with your loved ones, and to whet your appetite with an antipasti spread. A few of our favourite cocktails to serve at a winter gathering include the classic Negroni, the Milano-Torino and the Scotch Lambrusco Mule, all of these are a little fiery - helping to keep the winter chills at bay!

Once your meal is over and your guests are heaving sighs of satisfaction, if you’re in search of a final treat to round off the evening, then look no further. We believe that an Espresso Martini makes the perfect dolce. This elegant cocktail will transport you to the heart of Milano where you can sit al fresco and watch the winter sunset as you sip this glorious concoction. Better yet, explore our guide to Italian digestivo and impress your friends with your knowledge!

When Italy met England

Although not strictly an Italian cocktail, this Italian-inspired Gin and Tonic fully deserves a seat at the drinks table! With so many tempting flavoured gins available, such as Malfy’s blood orange variety, your classic British G&T will transform into a delightfully Italian tipple in no time! Follow Chef Roberta’s video guide to gain tips and technique for the perfect G&T.

Summer-Inspired Tipples

For some, a tall glass of wine is the perfect drink for summer, but if you crave something a little more exciting, or simply would like to transport yourself back into the warm summer months, we’ve got a few recipes up our sleeve which we know you’ll love. 

Who said you couldn’t have Aperol in Winter?

Close your eyes and picture yourself reclining on a beautiful beach somewhere along Italy’s southern coast. The sun beats down on the golden sand and the turquoise ocean glistens, and in your hand is an ice-cold Aperol Spritz, the amber liquid glowing in the late afternoon light. Whilst we can’t promise you beaches and bikinis, we can offer you our cocktail recipe to help you recreate this moment at home or follow along as Roberta makes a classic Aperol Spritz in the video below. Alternatively, if you’d like to transform your summery classic into a winter cocktail, simply add in 25ml of pomegranate or cranberry juice and a sprig of rosemary, and you’ve got yourself a Winter Aperol Spritz!

Taste of Summer

We move now further north, up the Adriatic shoreline all the way to Venice. The city is bustling with locals and holiday-makers alike and you meander along the canals until you stumble upon a little piazza, tucked away from the crowds. You find a table outside at a bar and collapse into a chair, beginning to realise your thirst. The waiter arrives promptly and you order a Peach Bellini - the perfect remedy. The blush pink beverage is placed before you and with the first sip you enter new realms of contentment.

Effervescent in Every Way

Back to Milano now, but this time it’s the height of summer and you’ve been exploring the city all day. Evening comes and the streets are springing to life, beautiful music pours out of every bar you walk past and you find yourself unable to resist its pull. Before long you’re ensconced in a small garden outside a beautiful restaurant and aperitivo hour is well underway. Despite the late hour the air is still warm and you fancy something a little lighter than the traditional Negroni, and upon the recommendation of the bartender you order a Negroni Sbagliato. This delightfully effervescent spin on the original recipe takes you on a beautiful sensory journey through Italia. 

We hope you had a delightful Christmas and will continue to enjoy the holidays into the New Year. Buon Anno from Pasta Evangelists!