The tangerine-tinged Aperol Spritz may be all over social media and streets these days, but the summertime standard has been fashionable since as far back as the 1970s. According to Food & Wine, the cocktail’s visibility in the United States started growing after the Campari group acquired Aperol in 2008. Your standard Spritz is made with three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol (bitter-sweet liquor) and a splash of soda water. It’s best served in a hefty wine goblet with a slice of orange dangling from the rim.
We’re not here to dis this spring and summertime standard. But if you’d like to expand your happy hour horizons on your next trip to Italy (or enjoy a taste of the bel Paese from afar), try one (or all six) of these intoxicating and classic cocktails instead.
Negroni, Florence
Most s claim that the Negroni was invented by Count Camillo Negroni in the early part of the 20th century. According to local lore, the Count asked bartender Forsco Scarselli at Florence’s Caffè Casoni to whip up a stiffer version of his favorite libation, ’AԴ (see below). Scarsellli’s recipe substituted soda with gin — a spirit Camillo had recently discovered on a trip to the United Kingdom.
Fun fact: The Negroni Sbagliato (meaning mistaken) came about by chance when a barista at Milan’s Bar Basso is said to have accidentally grabbed a bottle of sparkling wine instead of gin. Negroni’s fizzy cousin is less potent and just as delicious.
Americano, Milan
A precursor to the Negroni, ’AԴ was created in 1860 by Gaspare Campari’s bar in Milan. The drink was originally named the “Milano-Torino” (or Mi-To) after what was the home of its main ingredients. To make this “sauce” at home, combine Campari bitters, sweet red vermouth and seltzer in a 1:1:2 ration and pour over ice, adding a twist of orange peel.
Fun fact: Despite its nationalistic moniker, ’AԴ was 100% “made in Italy”; the name is said to come from the success it had with American tourists.
Pirlo, Brescia
Originating in the northern city of Brescia, the Pirlo is made with a combination of Campari, soda water and dry white wine (flat not sparkling). Similar to a Spritz (but don’t let a Brescian hear you say that!), traditionally it’s pre-mixed in a carafe, chilled in the fridge and served cold sans ice cubes.
Fun fact: Many people assume the Pirlo was named after famed footballer, Andrea Pirlo, who’s from the area, but the name actually derives from the verb pirlare or fare un pirlo meaning “to fall or to turn over” in local dialect — reminiscent of the swirling pattern the Campari makes when poured into the wine.
Hugo Spritz, Trentino-Alto Adige
Roland Gruber, a bartender at the San Zeno Bar in Naturno (Naturns) in South Tyrol, is credited with concocting the aromatic Hugo in 2005. A blend of sparkling wine, elderflower syrup, mineral water, mint leaves and lime slices.
Fun fact: The name, Gruber says, was chosen completely at random, explaining that “Hugo” sounded better than “Otto.”
Cardinale, Rome
Probably the most obscure drink on our list, the Cardinale is said to have been conceived by a senior member of the Catholic clergy who frequented the Hotel Excelsior on the Via Veneto in Rome. The dry, russet-colored punch features gin, dry vermouth, Riesling wine and Campari. It soon became a symbol of 1950s dolce vita.
Fun fact: The bar keep Giovanni Raimondo is said to have served the first Cardinale to the high-ranking priest summoned to the Vatican by Pope Pius XII for that year’s Jubilee.
Bellini, Venice
Created in the iconic Harry’s Bar in Venice in its heyday, this fusion of peach puree and bubbly Prosecco is a tipple that’s touched the lips of some of the world’s most famous celebrities, from Hemingway to the Hepburns to Hitchcock.
Fun fact: Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar and the man credited with inventing the Bellini, had a special taste for white peaches and wanted a way to make use of their summertime abundance, according to the Cipriani Group.
