These Traditional Italian Drinks Are Thirst Quenchers

Traditional Italian drinks are more than just wine and can both quench your thirst and open your palate for the delicious meal that will definitely be coming.

When you consider what people drink in Italy, images of wines and scenic vineyards often come to mind. But there are other essential pieces of Italian culture that deserve their own spotlight. These are drinks like popular aperitivo drinks, like Spritz or a Negroni, and Bitters that aid in digestion after a meal.

In addition to these classic cocktails, ubiquitous refreshing water that flows from ancient fountains step in to refresh the soul during these blistering summer days. They are refreshing, steeped in tradition and ready to save the weary tourist who over-estimated their own stamina when it comes to seeing sites in Rome.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at some uniquely Italian drink experiences: the iconic cocktails that prepare you to enjoy a delicious meal, the bitters that can help digest this meal and the ever-flowing public drinking fountains known as nasoni. Each represents a different corner of Italian life, and together they form a vibrant picture of what it means to drink like an Italian.

The Classic Italian Cocktail Can Elevate Your Aperitivo Hour

The Italian aperitivo is more than just a pre-dinner drink, it’s an important social and digestive ritual. Around 6 or 7 in the evening, bars across Rome begin to fill with locals sipping cocktails, nibbling small plates and enjoying a pause before dinner. This isn’t a time to binge and typically one stops at a single cocktail.

The drinks served during this hour are light in alcohol, a little sweet and designed to open the palate in anticipation of your dinner to come. Occasionally people will order a larger amount of food than the typical chips, olives and peanuts. This can be used as a substitute for a proper dinner, but it is a little less common. We’ve been forced to do this after forgetting to make a reservation and not having a backup plan.

What makes these cocktails so distinctly Italian is their balance, simplicity and history. They’re not overloaded with sugar or heavy spirits. Instead, they reflect a philosophy of moderation and enjoyment. 

If you’re looking to master these recipes at home or simply want to understand the culture behind Italian cocktail hour, our complete breakdown has you covered: “These Classic Italian Cocktails Will Elevate Happy Hour“.

Italian Bitters Are The Way To End A Meal

Bitters, or amari in Italian, are somewhat less well-known to visitors to Rome. While they might have tried some Lemoncello, the range of these herbal drinks are unknown and misunderstood. These often bitter liqueurs are made by infusing alcohol with a variety of botanicals. These range from citrus peel and licorice root to herbs and spices. 

Originally developed as medicinal tonics, bitters eventually found their way into Italian aperitivo and dining culture, where they now play a central role. There are specific rules as to when you should try a bitter and when you shouldn’t. An example is Lemoncello. This is strictly an after-dinner digestive, as opposed to Campari, which should be enjoyed in preparation for a meal.

They’re commonly enjoyed before meals to stimulate the appetite, or after dinner to aid digestion. Some of the most popular bitters include Aperol, Campari, Cynar, and Fernet-Branca. Each has its own unique profile, like Aperol with its lightly sweet and citrusy, Campari is bold and more bitter and Fernet is dark and intensely herbal.

To explore more about how these bitters are used in Italian cocktail culture and how you can incorporate them into your own bar, check out our full guide: “Italian Bitters For Great Cocktails Your Friends Will Love“. 

The Nasone Is Free Water From Rome’s Historic Streets

While bitters and cocktails take center stage in many discussions about Italian cocktails and dining, we’d be remiss not to mention one of Italy’s most humble and useful drink offerings: the free-flowing fountain water of Rome’s Nasone.

Scattered throughout Rome’s sidewalks, nasoni are small cast-iron drinking fountains that provide clean, fresh water to locals and tourists alike. The name comes from their nose-shaped spouts (naso means nose in Italian). There are more than 1,500 of these fountains across Rome, and many have been in operation for over a century.

These fountains are a symbol of Rome’s commitment to public access to essential resources. The water is safe, cold, and constantly running, which helps to prevent stagnation and ensure cleanliness. On a hot summer day, there’s nothing more refreshing than refilling your water bottle from a nasone as you explore ancient ruins or bustling piazzas, apart from just dumping a bucket of the cold water over your head.

Ironically, the free flowing water is available to everyone, but many Romans prefer bottled water with their meals. For visitors, the fountains offer a small but memorable way to experience Roman daily life. They’re also a sustainable way to reduce plastic waste while traveling.

Learn where to find these fountains and how to use them (yes, there’s a trick!): “Drinking Fountains in Rome Are Free And Known As Nasoni“.

Sip Like an Italian

Whether you’re swirling bitters into a cocktail, enjoying a spritz at sunset or pausing at a fountain for a cool drink of water, these traditional Italian drinks are about much more than what’s in the glass. They’re part of a lifestyle that values community, tradition, and simplicity.