Like most Italian cocktails or aperitifs there’s a great story behind The Bicicletta, or Bicycle, cocktail.  Legend has it that The aperitif was named after the elderly men who swerved all over the road while riding home after a few afternoon drinks at the café. The story sounds about right and remind us of how Count Negroni invented the popular Italian cocktail […]

The Boulevardier Cocktail The Boulevardier Cocktail or “Italian Manhattan” is credited to Harry McElhone, the founder and proprietor of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, and dates to 1927.  The Boulevardier Cocktail has become our favorite winter time pre dinner drink and is composed of 1/3 Campari, 1/3 Italian vermouth, and 1/3 Bourbon whisky.  Like all cocktails, the better the ingredients the […]

As of late it seems the Negroni has caught fire as the cocktail / aperitif of choice amongst discerning drinkers and eaters.  Mike Colameco, who hosts a popular NYC restaurant review show on PBS, raves about having a classic Negroni before each of his meals, for example.  The appeal of the Negroni (made traditionally with Campari, red vermouth, and gin) […]

How to Make the Perfect Bellini For us, nothing beats the elegance and sensation of starting a meal with a glass of lovely prosecco from the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy.  Prosecco is a sparkling wine and made from the “prosecco” grape; production is made possible via the Charmat method, where the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless […]

Italian 7 and 7 Cocktail is made without whiskey, but it’s a variation you’ll grow to love! Our growing family recently crossed the Hudson River and took a short drive into the isle of Manhattan for lunch with our cousin and his fiance.  Cousin M. is a lover of food and the culinary world in NYC so we take his […]

Amarena cherries are a product of the marvelous Emilia-Romagna region of Italy where other noteworthy products include tradizionale balsamic vinegar, Ferrari, Culatello di Zibello Ham
 (the king of salumi), Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano, Salamini italiani alla cacciatora, Brisighella Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, etc.  Amarena cherries are harvested in the wild and known for having both a sweet and […]

Punt e Mes is an amaro-red (sweet) vermouth hybrid made by Carpano and the name means “point and a half” in the dialect from Turin.  The legend goes that a man ordered a glass of red vermouth and half dose of bitters and Antonio Carpano’s bar.   Punt e Mes is made with a variation of herbs and spices and […]

We’ve officially fallen in love with the aperitivo ritual this summer, that is to say, enjoying a light cocktail before dinner on the weekdays and lunch on the weekend.  And while our go to aperitivo has been the Americano (and when we’d like something with a bit more alcohol content the Negroni), with any good food and drink you eventually […]

The History of the Negroni Have you ever dreamed of being an Italian Count? You know, a fancy aristocrat with an ocean-side villa, a butler, and a few exotic Maserati’s and Ferrari’s in the “stable?” I have to admit I’ve had a few of these Italophile inspired dreams, but I’m quite happy living the Italian life in the US. There […]

(photo: our favorite Birra Moretti – the traditional lager)  Just the other day I was having one of those peaceful moments informed only by the serene; including an unusually warm and sunny weather, a wonderful match featuring Juventas and Udinese, and a cold beer or birra.  I was consuming Birra Moretti, the iconic Italian brew with the old man with […]