Aperitivo Time!

For Dhoop Magazine

Text:

My best friend, Kris, likes saying “In Aperol veritas,” which loosely translates to “in Aperol there is truth”- an improvised version of the original saying “In vino veritas”, meaning in wine there is truth. While she didn’t care too much for the wine or even the Aperol, she did care about her aperitivo time with her friends and family. 

My introduction to “aperitivo” was when I was living in Milan. A classmate suggested what better way to get to know each other than an aperitivo. So there we were all twenty of us, cramped up in a small bar in Porta Vigentina, exchanging stories over negronis and olives. The walls between us breaking down, one sip at a time. As the year progressed, we did a lot of things together. We went travelling, we went to karaoke, and we camped out in the library looking for reference materials, but our favourite time was spent at aperitivos. 

An Aperitivo is a pre-dinner drink, typically consisting of wine or a light mixed cocktail, served with snacks or sometimes a small meal. These are usually taken in the evening. The drinks are designed to stimulate the appetite and prepare the body for the main meal. An aperitivo is different from happy hour. The latter focuses more on heavily discounted drinks and offers, the former on just building up your appetite. The typical list of drinks includes Spritz (Aperol and Campari), negroni, beer, wine, Americano, et cetera. Sometimes there are also non-alcoholic options such as Crodino or soda and syrup. Some aperitivo places even have buffets with pasta and pizza options. 

I have been an audience to various aperitivos. Some were a result of celebration, some were a way of getting to know people, some were disguised in dates, some under the pretence of language classes, some just to spend time together after classes with friends, et cetera. There was even a meeting for aperitivo to resolve a group discussion gone wrong. These aperitivos were full of tables filled with snack plates consisting of cheese, potato chips, focaccia, olives, prosciutto, and mortadella with glasses of warm coloured liquids with ice blocks, their alchemy promising a good time. Sometimes they would be lined by in a quaint street, rows of tables with a red and white checkered cloth, the street abuzz with conversation. Sometimes they would be in relaxed bars where the music playlist would consist of the top 40s. 

An aperitivo is a fun affair. I come from a culture where alcohol consumption is not socially encouraged. More often than, it’s frowned upon. But this is not about glorifying alcohol or how alcohol is a means to have fun. It is just an observation about a way of living. Food consumption will always question how ethical or moral it is. There are always going to be debates around it. Some will be reasonable, some not. What I can say about alcohol consumption is this: moderation is the key. 

Chris Bohjalian, in Secrets of Eden, writes, “Food is a gift and should be treated reverentially–romanced and ritualized and seasoned with memory.” The aperitivo culture taught me that what’s on the table is not essential but who is around it. At all these aperitivos, food and alcohol filled in the gaps in instances of awkwardness; it pushed the conversation forward, acted as a buffer when needed, it became elements of when people were having a good time. Aperitivos gave us an excuse to meet friends, lovers, colleagues, strangers, or even just spend an evening alone. As a result, food sometimes becomes the side character we didn’t know we needed in the dramatic play of life. As I write this, I am not in Milan anymore, but I think about my time, wishing for another aperitivo with my friends as the sun descends into the evening.