Aperitivo Time

Even when you can’t travel to Italy, you can feel like an Italian by learning to make an Aperol Spritz.

We took an amazing trip to Italy just a few months ago and enjoyed several Aperol Spritzes during our week-long adventure. Since we can’t travel to Italy right now, we decided to take a virtual trip back to Venice through Withlocals.

Withlocals

If you travel to Europe I highly recommend taking a private guided tour through Withlocals. We previously took a walking tour in Paris and a photography tour in Venice with this company and these tours were the highlights of our European adventures!

Withlocals offers literally hundreds of tour options to choose from in more than 50 major cities. There are tours focused on local cuisine, art history, fashion, architecture, iconic as well as lesser-known museums, family-friendly sights, and hidden gems in popular destinations.

As travel became limited during the coronavirus pandemic, Withlocals adapted by adding tons of virtual experiences to their lineup.

If traveling to Italy isn’t possible, then spending an hour online with an Italian local is the next best thing!

I perused the new options of virtual experiences through Withlocals, which range from cooking and dance lessons to history and art discussions. Given my love for Venice and my affinity for Venetian cocktails, I quickly decided on the Venetian Aperol Spritz with Valerio.

Our Guide

Valerio lives in an apartment on the picturesque Venetian island of Murano, famous for glass making.

I exchanged a few emails with Valerio prior to our scheduled session to let him know a bit about my husband and I and our history with and affection for Venice. Valerio shared a bit more about what to expect during our virtual experience as well as a list of ingredients to have on hand if we wanted to make the famous Venetial cocktails during our chat.

Given that the experience we chose involved cocktails, my husband and I opted for the latest session Valerio offered, which was 4 pm our time. That meant it was 10 pm in Venice. Our online tour took place via Jitsi, which is very similar to the Zoom platform. We easily connected to Valerio through the link provided after booking our experience.

Just like the private guided tours, our online experience included just my husband and I. We had Valerio all to ourselves for just over an hour!

Valerio was welcoming from the very start! He took the time to get to know us and answered all our questions about life in Venice and shared his extensive knowledge of the Aperol Spritz. Near the end of our time, he even took us on a short tour along the canal where he lives.

It felt like I was back in Venice wandering the idyllic maze of bridges. My only regret was that we chose the late session as it was already dark in Venice.

For a brief time Valerio transported us back to Venice…if only in our minds!

Aperitivo

Valerio told us all about the history of Aperitivo in Venice and his experience with this Venetian custom as we reminisced about our recent time in Italy…and dreamed about a return trip to Venice.

Aperitivo is Italy’s version of Happy Hour. But it is also much more than that as Aperitivo Time is a way of life for many Italians.

Aperitivo typically occurs between 6-8 pm, before dinner time. During this time it is customary to drink an aperitif, an alcoholic beverage meant to stimulate the appetite.

After a long day of work, Italians love to indulge in an Aperol Spritz to unwind and prepare for dinner. This traditional Venetian cocktail is commonly paired with Cicchetti, small appetizers generally consisting of bread topped with meats, cheeses, and other spreads.

Making an Aperol Spritz

After conveying the significance of Aperitivo, it was time for Valerio to play bartender!

Valerio walked us through the 4 different versions of an Aperol Spritz as we took notes and watched him pour each sparkling concoction. Each drink includes prosecco or sparkling wine paired with one of the following liquors:

Aperol: bright orange color, lowest alcohol content, and a lasting orange flavor

Campari: deep red color, high alcohol content, bitter taste with a hint of sweetness

Cynar: Valerio’s favorite, dark brown liquor, made from 13 herbs including artichoke, with bittersweet notes

Select: less common, bright red in color, smelling of citrus, balsamic, and eucalyptus, and with the flavor of rhubarb and juniper berry

Simply fill half of your glass with prosecco or white wine and then add one of the four liquors, a few ice cubes and a slice of orange and maybe an olive.

Typically an Aperol is 3 parts prosecco with 2 parts liquor, but Valerio suggested adding more or less of the liquor based on your mood to create your desired intensity. And while the Aperol Spritz is synonyms with Aperitive, Valerio acknowledged that Venetians can be found drinking this refreshing beverage just about any time of day!

Back Home Again

While our time with Valerio was short, it further instilled our desire to return to Italy someday. In the meantime, my husband and I regularly indulge in Aperitivo Time in Indiana!

With Valerio’s guidance in mind, we have already made our own spritzes with Aperol and Campari. Soon we will be acquiring bottles of Cynar and Select so we can experience the full range of this famous Venetian aperitif!

Thank you to Valerio for giving us a taste of Venetian life!

Are you ready to venture to Venice with an online experience? Check out Withlocals.com!

Have you tried an Aperol Spritz? Comment below to share your favorite version of this Venetian cocktail.

Want more of my tips on Italy? Check out this episode of the Fly with Chris and Di podcast, featuring Traveling Tanya!

Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya

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