To understand the Aperitivo, imagine a table full of the tastiest nibblies and glasses full of hope and merriment. Add a setting sun, some good company, and the allure of an approaching dinner, and you have yourself an Aperitivo!
To find out more about the Italian Aperitivo, check out our guide! We’ve outlined everything there is to know, from ‘What it is’ to ‘What it tastes like’.
Perfect Aperitivo Drinks
You can’t have an Aperitivo without the drink! For the perfect Aperitivo drink, we’ve created highly unique, non-alcoholic Aperitif spirits that capture distinct and contemporary flavours:
Lyre’s Classico: lightly coloured Non Alcoholic Sparkling, perfect for Aperitivo. It’s alluring with notes of fresh peach, melon and granny smith apple skin on the nose. An appealing floral and musk tones adding complexity and inviting you to taste. Finishes soft and dry.
Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso: A rich, mouthful of flavours follows the bouquet with blood orange and vanilla taking the lead. Caramel, citrus pith, and cacao provide balance, adding to the mouth coating mid-palate.
Lyre’s Italian Spritz: The bittersweet flavour of the Italian Spritz is like sunshine itself, bright with flavours typical of its origins. The sweetness from orange is perfectly fused with the complex and astringent flavours of rhubarb, finishing dry and deliciously refreshing.
Lyre’s Italian Orange: A rich, mouthful of flavours with blood orange and red citrus taking the lead. Maraschino brings balance, adding to the generosity on the mid-palate, giving length of flavour followed by a persistent, pithy dryness.
For some insanely amazing drink recipes, give some of these a try:
- Lyre’s Negroni
- Lyre’s Amalfi Spritz
- Lyre’s Americano
Food Pairing
Naturally, eating is essential during an Aperitivo. The slightly bitter, flavoursome drink wakes your appetite from its snoozy slumber and prepares you for the meal ahead. When choosing food to pair with your Aperitivo, opting for small portions of saltier snacks is the usual choice! Wake your appetite and make yourself thirsty for more with the below recommendations for a perfect Aperitivo evening:
A platter of deliciousness: This is a no-cooking-needed plate of dreams. Arrange an antipasto platter made of mixed olives, cured meats, salumi, a little cheese like pecorino, grissini, marinated white anchovies, and a few crackers. Buon appetito!
Prosciutto, asparagus, and ricotta crostini: Any kind of cured meat is a staple while enjoying your Aperitif. We recommend brushing a little olive oil to some sliced baguette or sourdough, popping on the grill for a little char and layering ricotta, prosciutto with some grilled asparagus on top. If you’d rather cut the meat, add sliced king prawns or grilled mushroom and a little fresh chilli.
Eggplant and zucchini frittata: This super simple dish required just a few ingredients but packs lots of flavour. Grill the eggplant and zucchini, add chopped parsley, perhaps even some red pepper and baked with an egg mix. Adding chopped chorizo also works.
Burrata with nduja and grilled flatbread: The creamy soft and stretchy cheese often made with buffalo milk is the perfect wingman for the spicy salami paste made from pork known as nduja. Splash a little olive oil over it and scoop up with grilled flatbread and you’re good to go.
Salt cod & potato croquette: If you’re a sucker for fried food, you can’t pass up the salt cod croquette! Traditionally known as Bacalao, the salt and dried fish is soaked and mixed with puree potato and fresh herbs. Serve them with a little chilli mayo for a magnificent combination. One is never enough.
Mondeghili meatballs: Originating from Milan, these homey fried meatballs are a perfect pairing for your Aperitivo. These richly flavoured gems go perfectly to balance the citrusy, slightly bitter palate of your aperitivo, the Italian meatball is a staple across traditional Italian Aperitivos.
Tramezzini finger sandwiches: Tramezzini are small, crustless sandwiches made with soft, milk-based bread and filled with anything your heart desires. We recommend trying fillings like tuna, caper and hard-boiled eggs or porchetta with radicchio for a timeless, classic Italian staple.
Prawn sliders with baby cos and lemon aioli: For the seafood lovers out there, pair your Aperitivo with a prawn slider, add sliced cos lettuce, a cucumber pickle and tangy lemon aioli. They’re sure to be a hit!
There are many foods that could be added to this list - the versatility of the Aperitivo is out of this world - but we’ll stop there. We recommend starting with the above and continuing your journey through this wonderful tradition by exploring and experimenting with different recipes suited to your personal tastes and favourite flavours. As a general rule, anything Italian will pair magnificamente!
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