{"id":2395,"date":"2013-12-27T12:49:59","date_gmt":"2013-12-27T11:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rickzullo.com\/?p=2395"},"modified":"2022-05-30T01:51:18","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T23:51:18","slug":"drinking-in-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickzullo.com\/drinking-in-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Drinking in Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"
This week in Italy, and all over the world, holiday celebrations are in full swing.\u00a0 And where there are parties, of course there are plenty of alcoholic libations.\u00a0 However, drinking in Italy<\/a> is not the same sport as found in other (read: English-speaking) countries.\u00a0 Because the truth is, Italians are not really \u201cdrinkers,\u201d per se.\u00a0 At least not in the way that an American understands the concept.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve said it before, but it\u2019s worth repeating: In Italy, alcohol goes with <\/i>things, and drinking to get drunk is not<\/i> an acceptable form of recreation.\u00a0 Indeed, public intoxication brings shame on yourself and your family, unlike in Anglo cultures where the same behavior earns praise and admiration from your friends down at the pub.<\/p>\n Still, there are plenty of potent potables<\/a> to enjoy in Italy, but you have to be selective. Sticky sweet cordials abound. \u201cVino sfuso,\u201d<\/i> or table wine, while conceptually appealing, is by and large horrible (more on this later). And nobody in Italy knows how to make a proper dry martini.<\/p>\n No, italiani,<\/i> you can\u2019t just pour Martini Bianco in a glass with an ice cube and call it a cocktail. Vodka or gin is required, and in a much great proportion than you all seem to believe.\u00a0 The vermouth should merely be \u201cintroduced\u201d to the spirits, preferably by the drop. \u00a0Or, as Churchill used to proclaim, just a small nod of acknowledgment from the other side of the room constitutes sufficient involvement on the part of the vermouth.<\/p>\n However, if you have a look around at what the folks are drinking in Italy this time of year, there are a few interesting winter traditions of note.<\/p>\n Vin Brul\u00e9:<\/b> this is a holiday favorite in the north of Italy, similar to what English-speaking countries refer to as mulled wine.\u00a0 According to my friend Paolo (a.k.a. \u201cQuatrofromaggio<\/a>\u201d), \u201cThe practice of mulling wine goes back to medieval times, probably as a way to use up low quality or spoiled wines. \u00a0Mulled wine has then remained popular as a comforting winter drink and as a remedy for colds and flus. \u00a0Its curative effects have since found confirmation in the anti-inflammatory properties of red wine and in the high content of antiseptics and antioxidants of cloves and cinnamon.\u201d<\/p>\n However, as I\u2019ve already mentioned, Italians aren\u2019t particularly keen on recruiting this concoction as a means to getting inebriated. \u00a0As Paolo further points out: \u201cVin Brul\u00e9 is usually boiled until no alcohol remains.\u00a0 Mulled wine, instead, is only warmed up for a short amount of time and at a lower temperature to preserve the alcoholic content. \u00a0Occasionally, a shot of brandy or sherry is also added at the end for an extra bite.\u201d\u00a0 No big surprise there.<\/p>\n Cioccolata Calda:<\/b> this not the \u201cSwiss Miss Instant Cocoa\u201d of your childhood, and thank goodness for that!\u00a0 Italian hot chocolate is a warm, thick, delicious treat.\u00a0 Not really a beverage so much as a smooth, rich, pudding-like dessert.\u00a0 So yes, you\u2019ll need a spoon and not<\/i> a cocktail straw.\u00a0 But be warned: while delicious, it\u2019s also very filling, so a little goes a long way.\u00a0 You just need enough to warm up your insides and indulge your taste buds in the chocolaty goodness.<\/p>\n Bombardino:<\/b> this drink is really \u201cthe bomb!\u201d (sorry, couldn\u2019t resist). It\u2019s especially popular in and around the ski resorts this time of year. \u00a0It is made by mixing 1\/2 Advocaat (or eggnog, if you must) and 1\/2 Brandy.\u00a0 It is served hot and with whipped cream on top.\u00a0 There are variations that include the adding of coffee, rum, or, whiskey.\u00a0 The \u201ccalimero\u201d version is one part Brandy, one part Vov (an egg-based liqueur), and one part espresso.\u00a0 A couple of these will send you back up to the top of the slopes, and then down the double black diamond trails like a bomb.\u00a0 The mix of high heat, high alcohol, and high caffeine will have you exclaiming, \u201cWow! \u00c8 veramente una bomba!\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n If you want to read some more interesting winter drink recipes, check out this article from my friends at Italy Magazine:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.italymagazine.com\/featured-story\/taste-christmas<\/a><\/p>\n al bacio dell’amore aggiunga il suo bacio.”<\/td>\n to the kiss of love, add its own kiss.”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n –Pablo Neruda<\/p>\nDrinking in Italy during the holidays<\/h2>\n
Vino della Casa<\/h2>\n
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\n “Oh, tu, caraffa di vino, nel deserto con la bella che amo,”disse il vecchio poeta.”Che la brocca di vino<\/p>\n “Oh, thou, carafe of wine, in the desert with the beautiful one that I love,”sung the ancient poet.”Let the jug of wine<\/p>\n