An international day celebrating one of the most iconic rituals symbolic of Italian gastronomic culture and lifestyle – May 26th marks the first edition of World Aperitivo Day.
Created by MWW Group – the organization founded by Federico Gordini that in the last 12 years has created some of the most important and innovative formats dedicated to the enhancement of the Italian food and wine heritage, from Milano Food Week to Milano Wine Week, from Bottiglie Aperte to Vivite – the World Aperitivo Day project is aimed at all consumers and professionals in the world of catering and linked to the founding values of the Manifesto dell’ Aperitivo, a decalogue designed and signed for the occasion together with the Institutions.
The day will be celebrated on May 26th with a live event as well as on social media channels, through which, using the hashtag #WorldAperitivoDay, the public is invited to recount their interpretation of the ideal Italian cocktail, made according to the principles of the Manifesto.
Raise a Glass to World Aperitivo Day
World Aperitivo Day will take place at the Fondazione Feltrinelli, in Milan, with a program full of activities, punctuated by moments of meetings and tastings with special cocktail creations made by great chefs, barmen, and pairings designed by sommeliers and gastronomes.“The Aperitivo is not only a ritual-symbol of the Italian lifestyle, but the next great opportunity to promote our excellence worldwide,” says Federico Gordini, president of MWW Group. “The Aperitivo is a format that corresponds to a market value that in Italy alone stood at 4.5 billion euros in 2019. And even in 2020/21, with the pandemic and closures, Italians did not want to give up this ritual, which has rediscovered the domestic dimension with a boom in consumption within the walls of the home. Then, with the re-openings, consumption outside the home also returned to growth: 170 million aperitifs were drunk in the summer of 2021, 15 million more than in 2020. Large numbers that do not even take into account one of the two fundamental components of the Italian Aperitivo: the Food element, which alone represents one of the most important Italian assets in terms of market values and prestige both in Italy and abroad.”
The Aperitivo Manifesto was created with the aim of identifying and codifying the founding values of this ritual act of Italian lifestyle. These include the use of denomination and supply chain products that guarantee the consumer and protect the originality of Made in Italy in the world, the enhancement of the regional food and wine heritage, and the building of a culture of pairing our products with those from food and beverage traditions from around the world.
In order to be a true Italian aperitif, there are two musts. The first relates to the importance of the combination of the connection between food and beverage. For the occasion, special pairings will be proposed by famous chefs and top mixologists and sommeliers. The second, is that at least 50% of the ingredients used to make up the combination must come from Italy.
Among the signatories of the Manifesto are also well-known figures of the Italian food scene, such as Andrea Berton, Daniel Canzian and Viviana Varese, as Chef Ambassadors, called upon to create pairings and combinations of flavors, research, and innovation.
The Symbol of Italian Lifestyle
“The aperitivo,” says Andrea Berton, Chef of Ristorante Berton Milano, “has forever been part of the Italian lifestyle tradition. It is a symbol of sharing, of spending time together, but above all it is the unfailing ritual that anticipates dinner.”“It is always a good time for an aperitivo. Anytime between breakfast and dinner it is the symbol of sharing par excellence. We need to get away from the concept of the apericena – a concept that pairs lots of little bites with drinks in place of dinner – and emphasize the true Italian aperitivo,” adds Daniel Canzian, Chef of Daniel Canzian Ristorante.
“It is about time spent together, it is an opportunity for exchange, it is the welcome in of the evening. It is about beginnings and friendships in Milan. It is an appetizer to accompany my favorite drink,” comments Viviana Varese, Chef of Ristorante Viva.
“The aperitivo is smiling, it is the unfailing “excuse” to get together or for a date, the aperitivo has no age, no subdivision, it is about friends, it is fun, it is the start to a splendid evening,” concludes Barman Filippo Sisti.
During the event celebrating this easy-to-fall-in-love-with ritual of Italian lifestyle ample space will be given, in addition to tastings, to an in-depth study of the social and lifestyle aspects, with dedicated talks and masterclasses, and will also focuses on the enjoyment of an Aperitivo outside the home – with pairings and tastings proposed by leading chefs, gastronomes, mixologists, and sommeliers. Then the focus will turn to the Casa dell’ Aperitivo, which will host tastings and pairing proposals dedicated to home consumption.
The tasting route will then offer a preview of the Aperitivo Festival, the new event scheduled for May 2023 in Milan.