If you are going to take a trip to Italy, you absolutely can’t leave the country without having tried a Spritz. Where? In Venice, of course! This celebrated orange drink is made with Prosecco, the most famous white sparkling wine of the region so, why don’t you plan a Venice food tour and jump at the opportunity to taste the unique Italian experience of the Aperitivo, while drinking a Spritz and enjoying the sunset over the lagoon?

What is the Aperitivo?

Aperitivo is the name that the Italians give to a special moment of the day. Some would describe it as being like an ordinary happy hour but for the Italians it is so much more.

When you arrive in Italy and you finally settle in, have a look around you at about 7pm. You will find little crowds outside of lounge bars or sitting at little tables in cocktail bars, drinking an orange drink while eating some finger food.  They are drinking the famous Spritz and are having an Aperitivo.

Apart from what these people are drinking and eating, the next most noticeable thing is how these people are dressed.  Many of them are wearing work clothes because this social event happens at the end of the working day and a few hours before dinnertime. This is the reason why it is considered one of the best moments of the day by the Italians. It is a time for relaxation and you can spend it with your colleagues or with your friends, sipping one of Italy’s most beloved drinks, the Spritz.

How to plan a Venice food tour with an Aperitivo

The Spritz is one of the most famous drinks in Italy. It is served in a wine glass and it is the Aperitivo drink par excellence; composed of prosecco, carbonated water or a splash of soda, ice, a slice of fresh orange, and Aperol. The latter ingredient is an Italian liqueur made with notes of rhubarb and cinchona. Other bitters can be used instead of Aperol, depending on one’s own personal taste, but Aperol is one of the most popular bitters available in Italy.

The Spritz can be found on almost any Italian cocktail menu whatever the city you may be visiting, but if you are going to spend a few days in the motherland of prosecco, then you can’t miss the opportunity to be out and Aperitivo-ing as the Italians do by taking part in a Venice food tour!

A food tour is an authentic culinary and cultural experience that is generally carried out with the presence of an experienced guide who will take you all over the city.  The typical itinerary begins by taking you to areas that are packed full of restaurants and bars that are frequented by the locals. Thanks to a food tour, you can spend a day hanging out on the streets of Venice like the Venetians do and tasting the original Venetian Spritz, made with prosecco wine.

Nowadays, prosecco is the main ingredient in the Spritz even if, originally, it was made with normal Italian wine diluted with water. The Spritz has evolved, however, and these days each region has its own variation.  So, if you want to taste the original Venetian Spritz, all you have to do is to book a food tour on the streets of Venice.