Drinking Rituals in Italy – Aperitivo and Digestivo

Italians are so much more sophisticated about what they drink. They are intelligent drinkers, preferring lightly alcoholic drinks and always pairing the drink to the food so that one compliments the other. There is reason why the food of Tuscany goes well with a Chianti or a Brunello and a reason one never drinks a cappuccino after 12 o’clock noon. There are sequences of activities in the diurnal rhythms of the Italian day. Rituals where form follows function and function creates a sense of well-being that all other cultures aspire to.

The ritual of  the Italian aperitivo, the pre-dinner drink, that “opens your stomach” and gets your digestive juices flowing is designed so you can fully enjoy your upcoming meal. The habit of taking an aperitivo in the evening before a meal is enormously popular in Italy. The low alcohol content and dry or even bitter rather than sweet flavor of Italian aperitivi are perfect accompaniments to an Italian amuse bouche.  Drinks like prosecco, Aperol, vermouth, a Venetian spritz or the bitter-sweet, red herbal Campari are part of the typical Italian aperitivo hour, an after work ritual that offers a moment of relaxation at the end of a day where you go for a pre-dinner drink to nibble and nip and socialize with your friends.

And as the evening draws to a close and you’ve had a meal once served to popes and princes, your after dinner espresso is followed by a drink known as a digestivo ( sometimes referred to as an amazzacaffe – “coffee killer” for the fact that you take it after you’ve had your after dinner espresso).  Digestivi are after dinner drinks to help you digest your meal. Drinks like Averna, Strega, Limoncello and Grappa are much-appreciated by Italians for their digestive properties. Mixtures of herbs, roots, barks, flowers and spices, Italian digestivi are traditionally known for their restorative properties.  There are over 300 different kinds of after dinner digestive drinks Italians have concocted over the centuries. Today’s medical mixologists are using their flavors and digestive properties to create modern elixirs with a renewed popularity. So much so that many are now standard drinks at most international bars and restaurants.

Riddle Me This

What town in Italy is known for a bridge, a spring time vegetable and fragrant liquor that is part of its name but is not the reason for it? The answer – Bassano del Grappa, an hour’s drive southeast of Venice. Let me explain.

First the vegetable.

In April and May visitors from across Italy come to the Northern Italian river town of Bassano del Grappa to sample the delicate white asparagus. Grown entirely underground, it has been described by Lidia Bastianich as the “epitome of seasonal food”. Delicate and unique, sweet and slightly bitter, it has a cult following that draws food enthusiasts to feste and weekend festivals throughout the season.

 

 

 

Next the bridge.

The historical center of Bassano del Grappa is split in half by the Brenta River.  A covered wooden bridge, designed in 1569 by the famous Italian architect Andrea Palladio  was rebuilt at the end of WWII by Italy’s special mountain soldiers (degli Alpini) and  renamed Ponte degli Alpini, the Bridge of the Alpini, in honor of their fallen comrades. The piviotal role of the bridge in the military history of the region is long standing. Our grandfather crossed this bridge, during WWI as a young interpreter with the Italian Army.

And finally the fragrant liquor.

Although many people think that Bassano del Grappa is named after what is considered to be Italy’s strongest spirit, the town gets its name from nearby Monte Grappa (grappa means crag in ancient pre-Latin). There is a world-famous grapperia in Bassano, Grapperia Nardini. Founded in 1779, it is considered to produce one of the most exquisite grappas in Italy.