Travel

Rome: Italy’s capital & the final stop on our Aperitivo Tour

Rome is an ancient city, that is rich in art, architecture, culture and cuisine. It was the centre of the world for centuries and has been both revered and destroyed over time. The modern Rome of today is a bustling city; people warned us about the crowds and the traffic but it was nothing worse than Sydney in peak hour.

Cocchi Distillery Tour: Bartender Magazine Italian Aperitivo Tour

Another highlight of our trip was heading to Cocconato in Asti to the Bava Distillery which houses one of our favourite Italian brands, Cocchi. A family-run company to this day, we were given a guided tour by Francesca Bava and were joined by her uncle (and Master Distiller) Paolo Bava for the tasting section of the tour.

Hitting the bars in Florence: Bartender Magazine Aperitivo Tour

Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is the home of the Renaissance, with the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, Michelangelo’s Statue of David and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus all found here. For those of us in the hospo world it’s also known as the birthplace of the Negroni cocktail.

Amaro Montenegro: The Distillery Tour

In a small tasting room in the middle of the factory floor, we are treated to a tasting of the range, everything from the full range of Vecchia Romagna (including the relatively Riserva Anniversario – a unique blend of old and new brandies the youngest of which had spent 23 years in oak) but with a big focus on the Amaro Montenegro.

Torino, the home of vermouth: Bartender Magazine Italian Aperitivo Tour

The home of vermouth is a spectacular city. And it is genuinely a city that is dedicated to the tradition of aperitivo. From 4pm, bars and caffes are full of people sharing a quick drink with friends before they head home for dinner. Aperitivo snacks are also mostly free here (expect anything from olives to a full platter), which is something that has started to fade away in other places in Italy.