On Aperitivo Hour

Featuring a make-it-your-own cocktail recipe.

From the outsider’s perspective, it seems that some innate part of any Italian knows when it is time to close the books and drift to the nearest counter for a drink and a snack, and it is this fact that makes me feel, deep in my soul, that I maybe belong there as opposed to Evanston, Illinois. While we were there, I looked forward to that first drink of the day like I had some kind of dependency.

It wasn’t the alcohol I craved, though. It was the way you could relax and sink back in your chair with something cold in your glass and something salty on your plate. It was the feeling of leaving the day behind and pausing before launching into another evening; it was the blissful blip before the chaos of the night.

This is my contribution to meme culture. You’re welcome, internet.

In the last few weeks, especially as the sun comes out and the patios open back up, the aperitivo has been calling me. I love the feeling of closing my laptop (gently; no slamming here) and taking a deep breath as I wander towards our bar cart (scored at spot!, who happens to be having an amazing sale at the time of this writing) to see what tipple will tempt me tonight. More often than not, it’s this choose-your-own-adventure cocktail below, which satisfies perfectly on a hot summer night just as well as it does against the bitter nip of a chilly spring afternoon.

You can make this drink, which dances somewhere between a negroni sbagliato and an Americano, boozy or as light as you’d like — in my old age, I usually go with the lighter version written here so I can have more than one without falling asleep by 7. Add a shot of gin in place of the sparkling wine to make it a full on negroni. Make it non-alcoholic by going the bitters and soda route. The ritual will stick just the same in your day, splitting up the drudgery of the day and the magic of the night no matter what’s in your glass.

The non-negotiables? Castelvetrano olives and salty potato chips on the side. This is a drink that rebuffs salinity like no other.

How to Happy Hour from Home

• 1 oz Campari or bitter spirit OR several vigorous dashes of bitters (I exclusively use Forthave Spirits’ Red Aperitivo. My telling you this is NOT a paid endorsement or gift but it IS me fishing to see if anyone I know has a connection there because I am very obsessed.)

• 1 oz dry red vermouth (optional)

• half orange wedge (or lemon, lime, blood orange)

• dry sparkling wine OR unsweetened, unflavored sparkling water (I’m partial to Poggio La Noce’s gorgeous Pet'Golò, which, I must disclose, they occasionally send me for free but I would still tell you to buy even if they didn’t.)

1. Add ice to a rocks glass. Add the bitter spirit / bitters and the vermouth, if using. Stir together to chill.

2. Wedge the wedge into the glass amidst the ice and use a spoon or your fingers to press the flesh of the citrus into the ice.

3. Top your glass with sparkling wine or water.

4. Serve with salt: the cheapest, crunchiest potato chips; French fries hot from the air fryer; Costco salted cashews; popcorn.

Loved it? Hate it? Respond and let me know.

Coming up on Page & Plate 2.0: two excellent party recipes (one will be for paid subscribers only, so get in on that now before it’s too late!). The second part of our interview with Slik Wines. An inside scoop on the SVB collapse as seen through the eyes of a food and beverage CPG founder. A review of the cookbook I’ve ever purchased after borrowing it from the library. Shocking stuff!