Bartenders have embraced the bitterness of amari for a years now, but how much do you know about the culture of aperitivo? Well you’ll be able to learn more when a bunch of Italians and aperitivo-lovers gather at Maybe Frank during Bar Week on Sunday the 18th of September to explore a range of Italian liquors and listen to some top-flight speakers. We asked Matteo Fabbris, Disaronno’s brand ambassador, what the deal is with aperitivo culture and what to expect from the event.
What should people expect from your event?
Well, putting a bunch of people talking all things italian in a room adds a degree of unpredictability to a masterclass quite hard to define!
On a serious note however, I would love people to walk away from this event with a feeling of what the aperitivo moment truly means for us, both via the educational part and of course by actually experiencing one!
And of course I really wanted to involve the brands that have truly shaped so many generations in our country and have people attending understand how important this products are in our culture. Besides, you don’t get these people speaking in the same room very often – if you put all the speakers together there is just about as much knowledge as you can possibly get!
I promise, it will be a lot of fun!
What’s aperitivo culture all about anyway?
The word “Aperitivo” comes from the latin aperire – which means “to open” referring to the act of opening your stomach, taste buds and senses in preparation for dinner time. However, over the years (a lot of years) The aperitvo has gone beyond its literal meaning to become a very important and traditional moment in the day where, generally between 6pm and 9pm, together with your friends and the people you love you wash away your work day – have a drink, nibble a bit, celebrate life and relax! Although eventually, especially in Italy, you will still end up going for a titanic dinner so opening your taste buds beforehand, still comes in handy! And all of the above is made even better by the incredible choice of local liqueurs, vermouths, bitters, fortified and amaros available and different from one location to another.
Who will be speaking at the event?
We will have a panel made of Jackson Thornton from Montenegro, Luca Capecchi from Oscar697, Daniele Pirotta from Campari and Aperol, Sean Forsyth from Martini, myself, Matteo Fabbris from Disaronno, John Gakuru from Carpano and Fernet-Branca, and of course a big shout out to Stefano Catino for shutting down Maybe Frank to host the event.