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Drinks

Italy punches above its weight in drinks (bibita or bevande), producing over 600 kinds of mineral water alone, and leading the world in the production of wine; it produces some of the world's best known aperitivi and digestivi, (we're looking at you, Cynar!), and taught the rest of us how to make a good cup of coffee.

Italian bar words and customs

How to get a drink

Wine words

Know your vino

acqua

water

Alchermes

a bright red liqueur

Alpestre

tansy flavoured digestivo

Amaretto

almond-flavoured liqueur

amaro

bitter digestivo

Amaro Lucano

digestivo from Basilicata

Amaro Montenegro

digestivo named after a princess

Amaro Sibilla

Digestivo from the Sibillini Mountains

Amarone

passito wine from the Veneto

americano

a Campari cocktail

ammazzacaffè

a post-coffee liqueur

analcolico

non alcoholic

Anisetta

distilled anise seed liqueur

aperitivo

pre-dinner drink, often with nibbles

Aperol

bitter orange aperitivo for a spritz

aranciata

orange drink

Arquebuse

herbal digestivo flavoured with tansy

assenzio

absinthe

Aurum

orange liqueur

Averna

Sicily's digestivo

barbagliata

coffee and cocoa drink

bargnolino

sloe gin

chinato

fine wine infused with herbs

Biadina

amaro from Lucca

bicerin

coffee, hot chocolate and milk

bicicletta

Campari, white wine, and lemon soda

birra

beer

bombardino

Irish coffee, Italian style

Borghetti

espresso liqueur

caffè

java in all its glorious forms

Campari

bitter from Milano

cappuccino

coffee with hot foaming milk

carcadè

hibiscus tea or other drinks

cedrata

citron soda

Centerbe

Hundred herb liqueur

centrifugati

smoothies

china

quinine-based bitter

chinotto

myrtle-leaf orange and a drink

cigliegiolo

cherry cordial

Classico

the historic classification

Concerto

herbal cordial from the Amalfi coast

Corochinato

the 'Little Donkey' aperitivo of Genoa

Crodino

non-alcoholic bitter aperitivo

Cynar

artichoke and herbal based liqueur

digestivo

after-dinner drink

Disaronno

the 'original' amaretto

distillati

spirits

elisir

elixir

espresso

a shot of strong coffee

Fernet-Branca

herbal digestivo

Filu e Ferru

Sardinian grappa

fragolin

strawberry flavoured wine

Frangelico

wild hazelnut liqueur

frappé

milkshake

frullato

fruit milkshake

Galliano

yellow herbal liqueur from Livorno

gassosa

sweet fizzy drink

Genepy

wormwood liqueur

Genziana

ghiaccio

ice (cubes)

grappa

grape brandy

grolla

pot of friendship filled with coffee and booze

infuso

infusion

Lambrusco

the fizzy red wine of Modena

latte

mik

limonata

lemonade

Limoncello

lemon liqueur

liquore

liqueur

Maraschino

distilled sour cherry liqueur (and candied cherries)

Marsala

sweet (or dry) wine from western Sicily

meloncello

melon liqueur

mescita

by the glass

mirto

myrtle, myrtle liqueur

mistrà

anise liqueur

moretta fanese

Fano's three layered corrected coffee

moscato

muscat wine

most

apple and pear cider

Nanassino

prickly pear liqueur

Negroni

the classic Italian cocktail

Nespolino

loquat liqueur

nettare

nectar

nocino

walnut liqueur

Nostralino

traditional wine of Liguria

ombra

a glass of white wine in the shade

orzata

bitter almond flavoured non-alcoholic drink

passito

straw wine, wine from dried grapes

Picco Rosso

strawberry liquour

ponce

hot coffee, alcohol and lemon, Livorno style

Prosecco

bubbly from the Veneto

ragell

mulled wine

Ramazzotti

bitter herbal digestivo

ratafià

rustic liqueur

Recioto

dessert wine made from raisins

resentin

coffee-flavoured grappa

rhum

rum

Ripasso

the more affordable cousin of Amarone

Riserva

reserve

rosolio

cordial

rumme

alcohol, sugar, dark caramel and rum flavouring

Sambuca

anise and elderflower liqueur

Sassolino

star anise liqueur

Sburlone

quince liqueur

Sciacchetrà

wine made from raisins on the Cinque Terre

sgroppino

lemon sorbet, vodka and prosecco

shakerato

espresso with ice and cane syrup, shaken not stirred

sidro

cider

sliwovitz

plum brandy

spremuta

freshly squeezed juice

spuma

soda...or foam

Strega

witch juice

succo

juice

Supertuscans

rebel wines

tisana

herbal tea

Torcolato

luscious dessert wine from Breganze

Tuaca

citrus and vanilla brandy

tutone

anise liqueur from Sicily

tè

tea

Vecchia Romagna

Italy's most popular brandy

vermut

vermouth

Vespetro

herbal liqueur from Lake Como

vin santo

'holy wine' made from raisins

vino

wine

vino cotto

'cooked wine'

visciole

sour cherries/cherry wine

VOV

egg cream liqueur

xeres

sherry

zammù

anise flavoured drink