Is there anything better than an aperitif – defined as an alcoholic drink enjoyed before dinner – to whet the appetite? We certainly don’t think so.
In recent years, this much-loved tradition, formerly known as ‘cocktail hour’ and now referred to as ‘aperitivo’, has grown into quite the ritual here in the UK, almost singlehandedly triggered by Aperol and its ridiculously famous Italian aperitif.
Designed to stimulate the appetite – and sometimes, as in case of aperitivo, enjoyed with a delicious free snack or two – there’s an aperitif to suit all tastes while they provide the perfect ice-breaker in social situations (yes, even the most awkward ones).
Despite its Italian connotations, the word itself is French and derives from the Latin word ‘apierire’, meaning ‘to open’ or ‘uncover’, which in this case refers to preparing the palate for food. Because of such, most aperitifs are low in alcohol, as too much of a good thing diminishes the appetite (as we know all too well), and lean towards a bitter, dry or a botanical flavour profile.
Rob Wallis, co-founder of MOTH Drinks, says: “We’re seeing a rise in the popularity of aperitifs in the UK with people really enjoying that aperitivo moment: when you close your laptop and sit in the sunshine to enjoy the warm evenings and make yourself an aperitivo spritz or a negroni. There is a great variety of choice in terms of both taste and quality from local and international brands that UK drinkers can now enjoy.”
Inviting you to unwind and relax, aperitifs are arguably the best bit about dinner, particularly when paired with sunsets and tunes, whether bright-orange goblets of Aperol or ruby-red glasses of Campari.
Here’s to a summer positively drowning in sundowners.
Cheers!
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MOTH Drinks Aperitivo Spritz
Canned cocktails are having a moment, and case in point is MOTH Drinks, which offers an Aperitivo Spritz as part of a delicious collection of eight flavours. Unlike so many other brands, MOTH completely takes the stress out of the sundowner with this pre-made concoction, blending gin, fizz, soda and bitter orange to spectacular effect. Simply crack open and pour over ice with a slice for a simple and speedy aperitif. Perfect for packing up and taking to the park.
Buy now £3.75, Sainsbury's
Aperol Spritz Gift Pack
Everyone’s got a bottle of Aperol in their booze cabinet, but the convenient Aperol Spritz Gift Pack makes aperitivo hour even easier, featuring a full bottle of its namesake drink and two oversized glasses. Now all you need to do is find someone to drink with.
Buy now £21.25, Amazon
M&S Marksologist Rosé Negroni Spritz
We love the Marksologist line from M&S – little cans of professionally-mixed joy – and the Rosé Negroni Spritz is no exception. Expect a sparkling mix of rose vermouth, Italian amaro, gin and a touch of hibiscus. Our new favourite for taking to festivals.
Buy now £3.50, Ocado
St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Made from hand-picked elderflowers – 1,000 inside every bottle, incidentally – St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur is a staple at any spritz station with notes of tropical fruits, citrus, honeysuckle and pear. Its Art Deco-style bottle is truly iconic behind any bar. Try it with sparkling wine and soda for best results.
Buy now £27.99, Amazon
Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto
Combining bergamot peel, Cedro lemons, chamomile, lavender, gentian, yellow roses and Melissa balm, this aromatic and spicy liqueur is bitter and sweet in equal measure, while the serve comes in an Instagrammable green bottle. Enjoy over ice or with prosecco for an exquisite way to wrap up the day.
Buy now £31.49, The Bottle Club
Campari
Is it even an aperitif round-up without the inclusion of Campari? A stalwart on the pre-gaming scene, this famous bottle – blood-red in colour – is an Italian bitter that’s the star of the show in so many iconic cocktails (from a Campari spritz to a negroni and a Campari and soda). Its citrusy aromas and bitter-sweet flavour are thanks to an infusion of herbs, fruits and plants. Utterly timeless.
Buy now £17.00, Tesco
Crodino
Billing itself as a non-alcoholic aperitivo, Crodino hails from the same family as Aperol and Campari, albeit sans booze. It’s golden in colour, with a bittersweet citrus taste, and is made from an infusion of herbs, spices, woods and roots. Serve over ice with a slice of orange in a long-stemmed wine glass to feel like a grown-up.
Buy now £4.50, Sainsbury’s
Quinta da Pedra Alta Pedra No 03 White Port
Hailing from Quinta da Pedra Alta, a Portuguese producer that makes white, red and port wines, this signature white port is the perfect way to recreate a white port and tonic so beloved in Lisbon. Simply place a basil leaf in the bottom of a glass, pour in the white port, top with tonic water and garnish with an orange wedge. Divine.
Buy now £17.42, Master of Malt
Bolney Sussex Negroni
Bolney Estates, the Sussex-based wine producer, has recently branched out from its bread-and-butter into something altogether different: its very own bottled negroni. It made sense for a brand that already makes two third of the components required for a classic negroni in its Bolney Gin and Bolney Rosso Vermouth – all that was missing was a bitter liqueur. Thus, Bolney decided to make its own and combine everything in the Sussex Negroni, a complex, bitter and smooth cocktail for pre-dinner imbibing. Simply sublime.
Buy now £28.00, Bolney
Cipriani Bellini
Back in 1948, Giuseppe Cipriani invented a brand-new cocktail at Harry’s Bar in Venice that combined sparkling prosecco with white peach purée, and it’s still served there to this day. He called it the bellini.
Now, the Cipriani family has bottled his winning recipe for everyone to enjoy, and enjoy it we shall. Reassuringly pale-pink in colour and low in alcohol, it’s a soft and gentle way to ease into dinnertime, while feeling as celebratory now as it did back when it was first created to mark the end of the World War.
Buy now £25.00, Sacla
Sundown Spritz Can Pack
At just 6 per cent ABV, the Campari and soda-inspired Sundown Spritz by These Days is just the thing for a pre-dinner tipple, or for something light during the day. Expect deep, citrusy blood orange and chinotto flavours packaged up in a convenient can format.
Buy now £14.00, These Days
Brindisa Partida Crus Muz Vermut
Brindisa, the Spanish food store and restaurant brand, has created a remarkable vermouth. The base is a combination of young and aged red wines, and oxidative white wine, blended with 51 botanicals including citrus, alpine, herbs and spices. Enjoy just as it is over ice.
Buy now £25.80, Brindisa
Citizen Spritz
Just because you don’t drink alcohol – or are simply having a night off the sauce – it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t partake in aperitivo hour, right? Good news, then, that Citizen Spritz is offering all the aromas and flavours of a boozy aperitif in the form of its alcohol-free Pink Grapefruit thirst-quencher.
Buy now £20.00, Citizen Spritz
High Point Non-Alcoholic Fermented Ruby Aperitif
Proof, once again, that non-alcoholic drinks – specifically, aperitifs – have come on leaps and bounds of late is the Non-Alcoholic Fermented Ruby Aperitif from Cornwall-based brewery High Point. A herbal and botanical infusion that’s fermented for 30 days, it’s made from a blend of hibiscus, lavender, wormwood, pink peppercorn, orange zest and pink grapefruit zest, producing a spicy serve with bittersweet citrus. Salut to this spritz.
Buy now £19.99, Amazon
Amarula African Gin
G&T with a twist? Consider it done with Amarula African Gin, the only gin in the world made from the South African marula fruit, best served with tonic and a slice of grapefruit.
Premium botanicals, including juniper berries, orange peel, blossom and grains of paradise, combine to create a spirit with an orange taste and a spicy backbone.
Better still, £1 for every bottle sold goes to the Amarula Trust to support elephant conservation, making for guilt-free drinking indeed.
Buy now £20.92, Amazon
Amaro Santoni
Aromatic and floral, Amaro Santoni is comprised of a whopping 35 botanicals, inspired by the original recipe created back in 1961. This one is a modern iteration that works just as well in cocktails as it does by itself mixed with ginger ale over ice.
Buy now £24.95, The Whisky Exchange
Select Aperitivo
Created back in 1920 in Venice, Select Aperitivo is a classic blood-red aperitif that became a star of the Venetian cocktail scene during the post-war period, and its glamour endures to this very day. Light and refreshing, it’s made from 30 botanicals – chief of which are juniper berries and rhubarb root – to give it a bittersweet flavour that sings by itself or supports in cocktails. And if you find yourself in Venice, this year, Select Aperitivo celebrates its brand-new home, Ca’Select, featuring a production facility, mixology area and exhibition space.
Buy now £16.79, Amazon
Asda Extra Special Crémant d’Alsace
Everyone needs a bottle of fizz to hand for aperitivo hour, and this Crémant d’Alsace from the Extra Special label at Asda certainly hits the spot, beautifully pale with a fruity aroma and notes of pear, apple and hazelnut.
Buy now £11.95, Asda
Agua de Madre Passion Fruit & Raspberry Kefir Agua
This naturally-sparkling water kefir isn’t just good for the gut, teeming with live cultures, but it’s excellent for a low ABV spin on aperitivo hour, too. It comes in five flavours – Blood Orange, Lemon & Ginger, Elderflower & Apple, Passion Fruit and Pomegranate & Hibiscus – and is naturally fermented, vegan and low-sugar.
Buy now £31.60, Agua de Madre
Nc’nean Organic Botanical Spirit
Some would say that it you’re tired of gin, you’re tired of life, but if you’re really looking for an alternative to the spirit then Nc’nean’s Organic Botanical Spirit is just the thing. It’s distilled with a unique combination of classic gin botanicals and local Scottish plants to create a rich and floral drink. A barley spirit is the secret ingredient – adding a malty, fruity undertone. Simply add to tonic.
Buy now £37.95, Nc’nean
Dolin Bitter De Chambéry
Billed as the French answer to Aperol, Dolin Bitter de Chambéry – just-launched in the UK and exclusive to Amathus Drinks – is an infusion of plants, herbs and fruits in a mixture of neutral alcohol and wine. Elegant yet lively, it’s a refreshing palate-cleanser that tastes all the better when you know most people haven’t even tried it yet, providing a lighter bitter than most of the stuff already found on shelves.
Buy now £21.50, Amathus Drinks
Taittinger Prélude Grands Crus NV
Arguably the queen of aperitifs, Champagne tickles the tastebuds and teases the palate, and the Prélude Grands Crus NV by Taittinger does just that. Rich, elegant and round, it’s pleasingly silver in colour (thanks to the Chardonnay) and teeming with fine bubbles, complete with fresh citrus fruit flavours. The perfect precursor.
Buy now £58.00, John Lewis
Sommer Aperitif
Meaning ‘just because’ in South African, Sommer is a laid-back libation made from an uplifting blend of rhubarb and raspberry with tangy, sweet and refreshing flavours. A modern fruity take on the traditional aperitif, if you will. Low in ABV, mix it into a light but lovely spritz with prosecco and soda.
Buy now £22.95, Master of Malt
