The Bar Journal

Nothing can beat a pleasant Aperitivo before an Italian meal…from a glass of vermouth to a palate-cleansing Sgroppino, from evergreen Negroni to new twists on Venetian Spritzer.

Yes, when we talk about Italian classic cocktails, you can’t get wrong when you think of a Negroni, first created in 1919/20 at Florence’s Café Casoni. But the base of this bittersweet drink, has inspired many bartenders over the years. Negroni Sbagliato, The Contessa, Amber Negroni, Negroni Bianco and Boulevardier are just few of the many variations…

…but while La Dolce Vita reigned in 1950, in an iconic landmark of the Eternal City of Rome, a Cardinal suggested to his bartender a personal preference and as his idea was a success among other customers of the Excelsior Hotel, the bartender christened the cocktail with the name.

The Cardinale

The legendary cocktail from La Dolce Vita

Back in 1937, Rome opened his first film studio called Cinecitta’ and began the first American movie productions. With this, the affluence of the American tourism, also brought an interest in the cocktail culture where the professional bartenders were chosen as they knew how to deal with international customers.

But it wasn’t a movie star to inspire this cocktail but another famous American: the Cardinal Spellman. While visiting Rome for the 1950’s Christian jubilee, he headed for the Orum Bar at the Excelsior. He was welcomed by the barman chief Giovanni Raimondo, who naturally asked the Cardinal what he would like to drink. From there, the bartender offered to create a bespoke cocktail based on his favourite wine, the Moselle Riesling, giving it the popular name which still retains

The Cardinal usually had a revisited aperitif prepared by the barman: in a wine glass with ice cubes, he blended gin, bitter Campari and Riesling wine from Moselle, and then added 2 cloves, cinnamon and lemon peel.

Nowadays, Orvm Bar team offers the recipe from the first publication of this cocktail, dating back to a 50’s recipe book:

3/6 dry Gin

2/6 Riesling Rhine

1/6 Bitter

Prepared in mixing glass and serve straight up with lemon peel.

If you want something refreshing, try a slushy combination of lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco that is common in Italy as a palate cleanser, a dessert, or a pre-dinner drink…whisking the ingredients together creates a chilly, frothy libation.

The Sgroppino

The Ultimate Italian Cocktail For Summer

Originally the Venetian word sgropìn indicated the classic sorbet, without milk and with lower alcohol content. The first certain information dates back to the 15^th Century in Venice where it was used as a mid-meal palate cleanser for the aristocracy but over time the ancient recipe was transformed to give rise to the current Sgroppino, a combination of spirit, fizz and lemon sorbet.

There are many ways to make this, some involve blending the ingredients together and serving it in a creamed mixture as a dessert cocktail. Others more interesting is to let the sorbet sink and have a drink that changes in texture and sweetness as you go.

1 ice scoop lemon sorbet

1 part vodka

2 parts Prosecco DOC

Build in a flute or coupette

Serve with grated lemon zest on top

Any of those are normally consumed at the end of a meal as a digestive or between courses (usually between fish and meat), but nowadays the Sgroppino has started to gain big success also as an Aperitivo. In fact, it is often offered on arrival to big events or easily found on cocktail menus in bars and restaurants especially those who offer outdoor seating.

Among the other cocktails that have made the history of mixed drinking, we cannot forget one of the oldest drinks:

The Garibaldi

Simplicity in a glass

This cocktail was born as a tribute to Giuseppe Garibaldi, the one who commanded the “expedition of the thousand” and who gave birth to the unification of Italy. The Garibaldi cocktail is one of the most loved Long Drink aperitifs in Italy, its two unique elements enclose our beautiful country, representing the North with the Bitter Campari of Milanese origins, with the juice of the oranges of Sicily, the land where the landing took place of the thousand and where the unification of Italy began. Ordinarily drunk as an Aperitivo, but it’s great for supping at sunset.

The Garibaldi cocktail deserves to be known, although it is often served in a numerous number of bars of the country, it is not really known abroad.

Until October 2015 when it was revitalised during the reopening of Dante NYC and remains one of the iconic drinks served in this 2019 World Best Bar:

1 ½ oz Campari

4oz Fresh-squeezed orange juice

Build in a small highball glass filled with ice

Stir and garnish with an orange wedge

The method of preparation is amazingly simple but there are some techniques which makes it remarkably delicious…by extracting the orange juice at high speed or blending it very fast without ice, will aerate it and make the juice frothy and fluffy… …irresistible!!!

SALUTE!