Aperitivo is a social ritual deeply rooted in Italian and Mediterranean culture, far more than a simple pre-dinner drink.

The word comes from the Latin aperire, to open: the idea being that the drink "opens" the stomach and prepares you for the meal ahead. Historically it was almost medicinal, built around bitter and aromatic herbs and botanicals.

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What truly defines it

It is not just a drink, and it is not just a time of day. It is a state of mind, a social format, a ritual. Yes, the conventional window of 6:00–9:00 pm is its traditional frame, but in the everyday life of Italians, aperitivo escapes the clock: it happens at noon between colleagues, on a slow Saturday afternoon, on a Sunday morning before lunch with family. What remains constant is not the hour, but the quality of the moment: slowing down, being together, drinking something worth drinking.

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What you drink

Classically: vermouth, sparkling wines, aromatic bitters, prosecco. The most iconic cocktails of the aperitivo are the Negroni, the Spritz, the Milano-Torino. This is the space where products like Mancino Vermouth move, with its carefully selected botanicals, and Rinomato, an aromatic bitter designed precisely for the aperitivo moment. For a more contemporary and premium expression, SeiBellissimi reinterprets the format with ready-to-serve cocktails that bring bar-quality directly into the glass, at any moment of the day.

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The key distinction

Aperitivo is not synonymous with Spritz, even if the Spritz has become its global emblem. Aperitivo is the moment, Spritz is one of the drinks that accompanies it.

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Aperitivo at Anto

At Anto, aperitivo becomes something fuller, something slower. You sit down, you order a pizza, you let a cocktail find its way to the table. There is no rush, no agenda. This is the Italian art of dolce far niente: the sweetness of doing nothing, of being somewhere without needing to be anywhere else. A slice, a sip, a conversation that goes wherever it wants. Anto is not just a place to eat or drink. It is a place to stop, in the best possible sense of the word.

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In the premium context

Aperitivo represents elegant accessibility, sophisticated conviviality, Italian identity. It is one of the few F&B formats that can be both popular and luxury, depending on context and execution. Brands like Mancino and SeiBellissimi sit precisely in that space: artisanal quality, recognisable Italian identity, distribution in the premium hospitality channel. And the fluidity of the ritual, free from fixed hours, makes them even more versatile: not just bars, but homes, terraces, picnics, hotels.