Those drinks you enjoy before dinner actually serve a purpose. Trust us. An apéritif or aperitivo cocktail cleanses the palate and prepares the stomach for some delicious incoming food. From something light and fizzy to a classic martini, we've got the perfect apéritif beverage.
Aperol Spritz
There's a reason you see tables across Italy filled with this iconic neon-colored spritz before meals.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a wine glass, add ice, prosecco, Aperol, and club soda.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with an orange wedge.
Negroni Sbagliato
If you're for something a little bitterer from your aperitvo, the Sbagliato is a stunning choice.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce prosecco
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, sweet vermouth, and Campari.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Add prosecco.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Martini
We see your raised eyebrows, but it's the vermouth that makes the martini the perfect high-brow apéritif.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces gin OR vodka
- ¾ ounce dry vermouth
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Ice
- Lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, vermouth, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon peel.
Hugo Spritz
If a mojito was a floral, sparkling apéritif cocktail, well, you'd have the hugo spritz.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce elderflower liqueur
- 1-2 fresh mint sprigs
- 4 ounces prosecco
- 1½ ounces soda water
- Lemon wheel and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, briefly muddle the elderflower liqueur with mint sprig.
- Pour into a wine glass.
- Add ice, prosecco, and soda water.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and mint sprig.
Bicicletta
Grab your bicycle and head to the bar to sip this as you work up an appetite.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces sauvignon blanc
- 2 ounces Campari
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass or stemmed wine glass, add ice, white wine, and Campari.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with club soda.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with orange wedge.
Vermouth Spritz
Vermouth doesn't get enough love as the star in cocktails. And as an apéritif? It deserves all the awards.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces sweet vermouth
- Ice
- Soda water to top off
- Blood orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add ice and sweet vermouth.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with a blood orange slice.
Porto Tonico
You may think of port as an after-dinner drink, and that's fair, but with a bit of tonic, you can have port anytime.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces white port
- Ice
- Tonic water to top off
- Mint sprig and orange ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball, rocks, or wine glass, add ice and white port.
- Top off with tonic water.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with an orange ribbon and mint sprig.
Americano
Many think of this drink as the precursor to the Negroni. That doesn't matter. What does matter is this is an excellent precursor to dinner.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
- 1½ ounces Campari
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, sweet vermouth, and Campari.
- Top off with club soda.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Before Dinner Drinks Worth a Cheer
Sip on something that'll get your stomach rumbling and ready for dinner. Kick your dinner off with a martini, keep it easy going with an Aperol spritz, or have yourself a little vermouth spritz. If you're looking for somethign smaller to wake up your palate, try an amuse bouche cocktail. Cocktails aren't just for after dinner anymore.
