AMAZING ITALIAN COCKTAILS
Best Italian Cocktails you should be drinking to experience!
Italy is the home of great culture, history and people. The history of Italy covers the Ancient Period, the Middle Ages and the Modern Era. In antiquity, Italy was the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the Roman Empire. Rome was founded as a Kingdom in 753 BC and became a Republic in 509 BC. Italian food is second to none, and so are the country’s fantastic wines. But, what about the Italian cocktails? You may be surprised to know that the Mediterranean boasts some truly fantastic cocktails. Here are some of the best Italian cocktails the country has to offer. You will be surprised to see my amazing selection of Italian cocktails listed on this page. Also, I have compiled a choice of cocktails to create with Limoncello. Please scroll down to the bottom of this page under heading: The Best Cocktails to Make with Limoncello.
We may never know for sure as there are different stories about the origins of Limoncello. What we know is that Limoncello has been around for at least 100 years; it is said that, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was customary for the wealthiest Sorrento families to always offer a taste of Limoncello to their most illustrious guests.
Cocktails are iced drinks with a subtle and harmonious blend of flavours and powerful kick; spirits and liquors are at the heart of most true cocktails. They are surprisingly easy to make, provided you remember a couple of simple rules. Keep all your ingredients in a cool place, and serve chilled drinks in chilled glasses. Wash mixing equipment between making different cocktails to avoid mixing flavours, and rinse spoons, stirrers and cocktails shakers.
Aperol Spritz
A Spritz Veneziano (Austrian German: Spritzer, “splash” / “sparkling”) or Aperol Spritz, also called just Spritz, is an Italian wine-based cocktail, commonly served as an aperitif in Northeast Italy. It consists of prosecco, Aperol and soda water.
The Aperol Spritz became widely popular outside of Italy around 2018 and was ranked as the world’s 9th best-selling cocktail in 2019 by the website Drinks International.
Aperol Spritz Recipe
Glass: Tom Collins or Balloon Glass
Ingredients
- 135ml Prosecco
- 35ml Aperol
- 30ml Soda Water
- Garnish with orange slice.
Method
Fill a Tom Collins or balloon glass with prosecco. Add ice followed by Aperol. Top with soda water. Garnish with orange slice.
Angelo Azzurro
What Is an Angelo Azzurro Cocktail? This cocktail originated in Italy. Although the exact location and timing of its origin is a bit obscure, until recently it was much less well-known in the US than other Italian cocktails, such as the Negroni or the Bellini. This lovely blue drink created by using Gin, Cointreau and Blue Curacao, with dry shaken egg whites for the pillowy white foam.
Angelo Azzurro Recipe
Glass: Martini Glass
Ingredients
- 30ml Cointreau
- 30ml Limoncello
- 30ml Gin
- 10ml Sweet Vermouth
- Garnish with a fruit of your choice.
Method
Add ingredients to cocktail shaker with large, fresh ice. Shake well. Double strain into martini glass. Garnish with fruit of your choice.
Godfather
This simple cocktail, often a combination of Whisky and Amaretto, gives justice to the infamous movie it’s named after. Disaronno explains that the beverage originated in the U.S. in the 70s and was the cocktail of choice for Marlon Brando, who played Don Vito Corleone in the original Godfather film, released in 1972.
The Godfather Recipe
Glass: Martini Glass
Ingredients
- 25ml Amaretto
- 50ml Bourbon Whiskey
- No Garnish
Method
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail mixer. Fill with ice and stir gently until chilled. Single strain into a Rocks glass and top with ice. Serve with no garnish.
Bellini
The Bellini was invented sometime between 1934 and 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. He named the drink the Bellini because its unique pink colour reminded him of the toga of a saint in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini.
Bellini Recipe
Glass: Champagne Flute
Ingredients
45ml fresh Peach Puree (chilled)
Top with Prosecco (chilled)
Garnish with a slice of fresh peach
Method
Add the fresh peach puree to the champagne flute before topping with prosecco. Garnish with a slice of fresh peach.
Rossini
This is a take on the Bellini typically drunk at Christmas. It’s as simple as the Bellini in its ingredients, except it opts for strawberry puree over peach puree. It’s the Rossini we turn to when want to try one. Sweet, sour, fruity, and floral, it swaps strawberries for white peaches, but keeps the other essential ingredient, Prosecco. Serve it at any time or, since strawberry pairs better than peach with chocolate, it also makes an excellent dessert cocktail. A reliable food processor at your fingertips is a necessity for mixing up fresh, fruity purees like this one requires.
Rossini Recipe
Glass: Champagne Flute
Ingredients
- 45ml fresh Strawberry Puree (chilled)
- Top with Prosecco (chilled)
- Garnish with a slice of fresh strawberries.
Method
Add the fresh strawberry puree to the champagne flute before topping with prosecco. Garnish with a slice of fresh peach.
Americano
The cocktail was first served in creator Gaspare Campari’s bar, Caffè Campari, in the 1860s. It is the direct descendant of the “Milano-Torino” which consisted of Campari, the bitter liqueur from Milan (Milano) and Punt e Mes, the vermouth from Turin (Torino) but lacked soda water.
Americano Recipe
Glass: Highball Glass
Ingredients
- 45ml Campari
- 45ml Sweet Vermouth
- Top with Club Soda
- Garnish with an orange twist
Method
Pour into a highball glass and fill with ice. Top with club soda and garnish with orange twist.
Puccini
Named after the composer of Madame Butterfly, this cocktail is popular in Venice and other areas of northern Italy. It is often made without the mandarine liqueur. The sketchy history of both the Buck’s Fizz and Mimosa can be found below.
Puccini Recipe
Glass: Champagne Flute or Coupe
Ingredients
- 100ml Prosecco (Chilled)
- 40ml Mandarin Juice
- No Garnish
Method
Squeeze fresh mandarin juice through a seive into a champagne glass. Slowly add chilled prosecco or a dry brut sparkling white wine equivalent. No garnish.
Mimosa
It is believed that four years later, in 1925, a bartender at the Ritz Hotel in Paris named Frank Meier invented the Mimosa, which uses equal parts sparkling wine and juice. There is even one story that says director Alfred Hitchcock invented the Mimosa in San Francisco in the 1940’s.
A Mimosa cocktail is composed of champagne and chilled citrus juice, usually orange juice unless otherwise specified. It is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute.
Mimosa Recipe
Glass: Tall Champagne Flute
Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle of Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava, chilled
3 cups (750 ml) Orange juice
Method
Pour the sparkling wine into the Champagne flute, filling the glass about half full. Pour the orange juice on top to fill the glass and garnish with an orange slice.
Cardinale
While La Dolce Vita reigned, the barman at the Excelsior Hotel created the Cardinale Cocktail in 1950. A Cardinal suggested the recipe to his bartender, and the idea was a success with the other clients too, so the bartender christened the cocktail with the name “Cardinale”.
With its modern and elegant art deco style, Orvm Bar at The Westin Excelsior Rome, is still a landmark of the Eternal City. It’s right here that in 1950 a cocktail is born, and in a short time became one of the most representative drinks of the Roman Dolce Vita and an icon of the mixology in the world.
Hugo
For an alternative style of spritz, enter the Hugo. Originating in the independent Tyrolean region of Alto Adige of Northern Italy, it’s their aperitive of choice in the mountains. This variety, like all spritzes, has Prosecco and sparkling water, but its star ingredients are elder flower syrup and mint leaves, both ingredients that proliferate in the surrounding Dolomites. These cooling flavours are made even more refreshing on ice and with the optional addition of lime.
Hugo Recipe
Glass: Wide Brim Wine Glass
Ingredients
- 125ml Prosecco
- 30ml elderflower
- 30ml Soda Water
- Garnish with a Lime Wedge and Fresh Mint Leaves.
Method
Fill glass with prosecco. Top with large, fresh ice. Add elderflower and top with soda water to combine. Garnish with a lime wedge, and fresh mint leaves.
Spiked Affogato
An Affogato has almost everything we love about Italian food and drink, a scoop of gelato soaked in a shot of espresso, topped off with a splash of Amaretto. The only thing that’s missing is a real liquor. The perfect addition to take this bittersweet dessert into cocktail territory is one ounce of a rich, dark rum (though variations with whiskey and even stout are out there). Serve in a freezer-chilled saucer glass for the ultimate presentation.
Garibaldi
What can we say, the Italians love their Campari. In addition to the Negroni, another classic use of the red aperitivo liqueur is in a Garibaldi, where it’s blended with orange juice. It also happens to be the flagship cocktail of the famed Dante in New York City. A three-to-one ratio of orange juice to Campari makes for a sweet drink, worthy of an Amalfi Coast sunset seen from a rooftop restaurant. And if OJ didn’t make the cut in your most recent grocery store run, never fear Campari is so aromatic that it’s lovely with nothing but soda water and a slice of orange too.
The Garibaldi Recipe
Glass: Tom Collins
Ingredients
- 30ml Campari
- 90ml Freshly squeezed Juice
- Garnish with a slice of Orange
Method
Pour Campari into Tom Collins glass. Fill glass with ice. Top with Fresh Orange juice and a squeeze of orange. Garnish with a fresh slice of orange.
Negroni
One of the best Italian cocktails and one that has taken the world by storm in the past several years is the Negroni.
Camillo Negroni, this popular drink is a take on the Americano. Count Negroni developed a taste for hard liquor in America while working as a rodeo clown. Yes, a rodeo clown. When he returned to Italy, the lighter Americano was not to his taste. So, in an inspired move, the Count ramped up the alcohol. He insisted that the bartender at his local substitute the soda water, typically found in an Americano for cold gin. The Negroni is born.
Negroni Recipe
Glass: Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 30 ml Gin
- 30 ml Campari
- 30 ml Sweet Vermouth
- Garnish with Orange Twist.
Method
Add all the ingredients into a cocktail mixer. Stir until chilled. Single strain into rocks glass and fill with ice cubes. Garnish with orange twist.
Negroni Sbagliato
For those with an aversion to gin or who just want to try the drink with a fancy twist, there is the Negroni Sbagliato, another of the best Italian cocktails.
The Negroni Sbagliato, invented in 1972, was the product of a bartender’s mistake. Mirko Stocchetto, working at Bar Basso at the time, accidentally mixed in sparkling wine into a Negroni instead of gin. He quickly realized that the drink was fantastic and a new classic Italian cocktail was born.
Sbagliato means “mistake,” and if you’re after a great tasting cocktail with the added punch of alcoholic fizz, then this is the cocktail for you.
Negroni Sbagliato Recipe
Glass: Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 30ml Campari
- 30ml Sweet Vermouth
- 30ml Prosecco
- Garnish with an orange twist
Method
Combine Campari and sweet vermouth in a rocks glass with large ice. Top with prosecco to combine. Garnish with orange twist.
Sgroppino
Another love child of Italian drink and dessert is the Sgroppino and this one will surprise you with how delicious it is. The slushy, citrusy concoction blends lemon sorbet, Prosecco, and Vodka into a frothy, creamy, boozy treat. It originated as a palate cleanser, but now is commonly served as a full-size cocktail. And, in an unexpected twist, it’s popular in summer, where you’ll find Italians drinking it midday by the beach, when they need a break from the heat.
Sgroppino Recipe
Glass: Champagne Flute
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Lemon Sorbet
- 1 tsp Vodka
- Champagne
Method
Put the lemon sorbet into the bottom of a champagne flute.
Pour over the vodka, then top with champagne garnish with a lemon slice.
Pirlo
The Pirlo is a variation of the Aperol Spritz. It gets its name from the way the Campari swirls through the white wine to the bottom of the glass.
The difference between an Aperol Spritz and a Pirlo is simple; it makes use of a different type of red liqueur and white wine. Typically, the liqueur used is Cappelletti, and the white wine must be chilled.
Pirlo Recipe
Glass: Balloon Glass
Ingredients
- 30ml Cappelletti
- 90ml White Wine
- Garnish with an Orange Slice
Method
Pour white wine into the balloon glass. Add Cappelletti and watch it spiral down to the bottom of the glass. Add ice cubes and garnish with an orange slice.
Milano-Torino
This super classic Italian cocktail was created at the famous Camparino bar in Milan.
It was invented in the 1860s in Italy and remains popular today throughout the country.
This drink is like the grandfather of Italian cocktails because it led to variations as you may know as the Americano (where soda water is added) and the Negroni (where gin is added).
Milano-Torino Recipe
Glass: Highball
Ingredients
- 1-ounce Campari
- 1-ounce Sweet Vermouth
Method
Build the drink in a Highball glass over ice, stir and garnish with an orange slice.
Gin & IT
Again, the Gin and IT is not really an Italian cocktail. But, what do you think that “IT” stands for? That’s right, Italy! And, sweet vermouth, one of this stunning cocktail’s central ingredients, is an Italian creation. Originally, the Gin and IT was known as a sweet martini and began life at the Hoffman House in New York. The late 1800’s saw the drink’s popularity explode. And, over time the cocktail’s name changes from sweet martini to Gin and Italian to finally, Gin and IT. When prohibition hit the United States, the drink became popular in London. Eventually, it became a mainstay of many pubs with their patrons of gin loving Brits.
Gin & IT Recipe
Glass: Martini Glass
Ingredients
- 35ml Gin
- 25ml Sweet Vermouth
- Dash of Orange Bitters
- Garnish with Orange Twist
Method
Add gin, sweet vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters to a cocktail mixer. Fill with large, fresh ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into glass and fill with ice. Garnish with orange twist.
These are some of the best Italian cocktails out there. So, if you’re looking for a true taste of Italy and wine is not your thing, seek out a cocktail bar. Italy has plenty! Your bartender will know exactly what to do. And, remember, always drink responsibly. Cin-cin!
Fly Me to The Moon Margarita
Gin & IT Recipe
Glass: Martini Glass
Ingredients
- 35ml Gin
- 25ml Sweet Vermouth
- Dash of Orange Bitters
- Garnish with Orange Twist
The Best Cocktails to Make with Limoncello
Bring some citrus zing to your happy hour
The cocktail culture came to dominate the habits of Roman people, becoming in a short time one of the most innovative and requested drinks. Obviously, people chose places with professional bartenders who knew how to deal with international customers.
We may never know for sure as there are different stories about the origins of Limoncello. What we know is that Limoncello has been around for at least 100 years; it is said that, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was customary for the wealthiest Sorrento families to always offer a taste of Limoncello to their most illustrious guests.
On its website, Federvini, the Italian Association of Wine/Liqueur Producers, reports that Limoncello was born at the beginning of the 20th century in a small inn on Capri, where a local lady, Maria Antonia Farace, tended a luxuriant garden of lemons and oranges. Her grandson, after World War II, opened a restaurant nearby whose specialty was the lemon liqueur made following the old recipe of his grandmother. In 1988, the grandson’s son, Massimo Canale, started an artisan production of Limoncello, and registered its mark.
You might be used to having a taste of Italy’s famous lemon liqueur Limoncello at the end of a good meal, but there’s no reason to relegate this tasty tipple to digestive status. A bit of Limoncello can bring a sweet squeeze of citrus to all sorts of cocktails. Here are a few of our favourite ways to get more Limoncello into your cocktail rotation.
Limoncello Mule
Limoncello Mule Recipe
Glass: Tumbler Glass
Ingredients
- 1 oz Limoncello
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 Lemon Lime Ginger Beer
Method
Add all the ingredients together in a tumbler glass and mix. Garnish with lemon slice and mint sprig.
Sgroppino Spritz
Sgroppino Spritz Recipe
Glass: Large Paris Goblet
Ingredients
- ½ oz. Italicus
- ½ oz. Limoncello
- ½ oz. Nardini
- 5 dashes Lemon Bitters
- 1 scoop of Lemon Sorbet
- Prosecco to top
Method
Combine all ingredients except sorbet in a shaker with ice and shake. Scoop the sorbet into large Paris goblet. Strain the cocktail on top and finish with Prosecco.
Walk in the Park
Walk in the Park Recipe
Glass: Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 1 oz Rum
- 1 oz Limoncello
- 1 oz Vermouth Blanc
Method
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir for thirty seconds. Pour into a rocks glass over a large piece of ice and zest with a generous peel of lemon.
Apricot n'Sage
Apricot n’Sage Recipe
Glass: Highball Glass
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Bourbon
- .25 oz Limoncello
- Juice of 3 Lemon wedges
- 1.5 tsp Apricot Jam
- Sage Leaf
- Soda Water
Method
Pour all ingredients except soda into a shaker, add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice and top with soda water. Garnish with fresh sage leaf.
Limone, Limone, Limone
Limone, Limone, Limone Recipe
Glass: Martini Glass
Ingredients
- 1.25 oz Lemon Vodka
- 1.25 oz Limoncello
- .5 oz Lemonade
Method
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain and pour into a martini glass.
Newport Legacy
Newport Legacy Recipe
Glass: Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 1 oz Limoncello
- .25 oz Peach Puree
- .25 oz Lemon Juice
- Dash of Peach Bitters
Method
Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass. Strain and pour in a rocks glass over ice cube. Garnish with lemon slice.
Good Luck Charm Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces whiskey
- 3/4-ounce limoncello
- 2 ounces lemon sour (fresh)
- 5 to 6 spearmint leaves (torn)
- Sugar (for rim)
Method
Gather the ingredients.
If desired, rim a chilled cocktail glass with sugar: Wipe a piece of lemon around the rim to wet it, then roll it in a shallow dish of white sugar to get an even coat.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the whisky, limoncello, lemon sour, and torn spearmint leaves. Shake well.
Strain into the prepared cocktail glass.
Tuscan Pear Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces pear vodka
- 3/4-ounce limoncello
- 3/4-ounce ginger liqueur
- 1/2-ounce simple syrup
- 1-ounce orange juice
- Mint leaves
- Sliced pears and sugar (for rimming)
Method
Gather the ingredients.
Rim an old-fashioned glass with sugar; wet the rim by wiping an orange wedge around it.
Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat.
Strain into the prepared glass filled with crushed ice.
Garnish with mint leaves and sliced pears.
Vodka Limoncello Sorbet
Ingredients
For Lemon Syrup:
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (grated, zest of 1 lemon)
For the Sorbet:
- 1 1/2 ounces vodka
- Dash of Limoncello
- 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
Lemon wedges
Method
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add the lemon zest and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
Place a fine strainer over a large bowl and pour the syrup mixture through to strain out any zest.
Mix gently vodka and generous splash of limoncello
In & Out Lemontini
Ingredients
- 3 ounces vodka
- Splash limoncello
- Lemon twist
Method
Gather the ingredients.
Pour a splash of limoncello into a frozen cocktail glass. Swirl the liqueur around in the glass until the entire surface is evenly coated. Toss any excess limoncello.
Shake the vodka in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Strain the shaken vodka into the coated cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
