The Art of Aperitivo is Alive and Well in Beijing at Vesuvio

There’s no doubt that a cheeky early evening tipple feels just that bit more relaxing than one at any other time of the day. And if there’s one country that does that first drink of the day better than most, it’s Italy, which has perfected the art of the afternoon drink in the form of aperitivo. 

The perfect opening to any evening

Taken from the Latin aperiō, which means “open,” the concept of aperitivo” is thought to date back to the mid-17th century, around the time that Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented one of the first types of vermouth. Carpano’s drink was a bitter, complex blend of fortified wine and herbs and spices designed to stimulate the appetite before a meal (now you see where the name comes from).

Make mine an Aperol spritz

Most aperitivo drinks are usually light on the alcohol and based on bitter ingredients like Aperol, Campari, and the aforementioned vermouth. Today, the darling of aperitivo drinks is undoubtedly the Aperol spritz, which in recent years has had the kind of comeback that a 1990s one-hit-wonder could only dream of. Although spritzes have been around since the 1800s, Aperol was created in 1919 and became popular after the end of World War II, although it had fallen out of fashion by the end of the 20th century. 

Let’s get this bread

Drinks aside, the main thing that sets aperitivo apart from your plain ol’ happy hour is the food. Just like vermouth is thought to stimulate the appetite, a small snack is thought to get the stomach ready for dinner proper later in the evening. In Italy, many bars will put out a series of snacks on the bar during peak aperitivo hours, which are often included in the price of the drinks. Salty snacks like olives and cheese are popular, as are bread-based snacks like crostini and bruschetta (all the better to soak up those drinks).

Practicing aperitivo at Vesuvio

Beijing might be half a world away from Italy, but aperitivo culture is alive and well in the Chinese capital, at least as far as the team behind Bottega and Vesuvio is concerned. After a short-lived but vibrant run on the second floor of the original Bottega in 2016, the Italian wine and vermouth bar is back to make a splash, relaunching as a standalone bar at the front of Bottega's Jinshang venue.

Vesuvio is the perfect stop for aperitivo, with the team applying the same attention to detail they give to their Neapolitan pizzas to their selection of wine and cocktails. Unsurprisingly then, Vesuvio makes an excellent Aperol spritz. But don’t feel like you have to put too much thought into what you’re drinking and only choose something “authentically Italian”; a glass of wine, a beer or a gin and tonic works just as well.

Vesuvio has a range of daily deals, 5pm-late, that encompass all of the above including two glasses of wine and cold cuts platter – perfect for date night – on Mondays for just RMB 98, RMB 38 negronis on Tuesdays, RMB 38 gin and tonics on Thursdays, and brunch-boosting RMB 38 Aperol spritzes on Sundays, starting 3pm till late.

To complete the aperitivo experience, you’ll need some snacks. Start with a bowl of plump green and black olives, which go particularly well with a negroni. Nothing goes better with drinks than deep-fried food and Italian cuisine can certainly oblige you there, perhaps with some arancini. These deep-fried rice balls are often made with leftover risotto, a practice that seems particularly pertinent in this era of reducing food waste. If you’d prefer something more substantial, a platter of Bottega’s imported meats and cold cuts will comfortably serve a group of hungry friends.

And friends are really what aperitivo is all about. So next time you’re hosting a get-together, why not head to Vesuvio for a few rounds of Aperol spritzes. Just don’t call it happy hour.

This post is paid for by Bottega

Photos: Uni You