Drinking in Italy: Etiquette & Unspoken Rules Every Traveler Should Know

Your Essential Guide to to Aperitivo, Wine, and Drinking Culture in Italy

Italy is a country where pleasure and culture are taken seriously — especially at the table. Here, drinking isn’t about getting drunk; it’s about taste, ritual, and spending unhurried time together. If you want to blend in with Italian drinking culture, a little cultural awareness goes a long way.

Here are the essential unspoken rules to help you enjoy Italy’s beautiful beverage traditions with confidence and respect.

Wine Is Part of Life

Here’s the thing about Italy and wine: they pretty much invented the thing. Long before the Romans, ancient peoples like the Etruscans were cultivating vineyards along the peninsula.
When the Romans were perfecting vineyards, Paris didn’t even exist — and it went on through the centuries.

Today Italy goes head-to-head with France as one of the top wine producers in the world, and they do it with more swagger and way more grape variety (over 500 native ones if you’re counting).

Every region has its own signature wine — and locals will absolutely let you know theirs is the best.

So, How Do Italians Actually Drink Wine?

Food first. Wine is part of the meal, not a solo activity.
Quality over quantity. Taste matters more than getting tipsy.
Occasion dictates the pour. A 10-year aged Barolo doesn’t go with pizza.
Keep it local. When in Florence… Chianti. When in Piemonte… Barbera. You get it.

A few helpful tips:

- House wine is totally legit (and often great)

- Do not fill glasses to the rim - unclassy

- You don’t do tastings during meals — that’s for vineyards

- Loud drunkenness = a cultural no-go

Wine isn’t a status symbol in Italy — it’s a daily pleasure. A conversation starter. A reason to linger at the table just a little longer. Because here, wine is not about drinking.
It’s about enjoying life… one sip at a time.

Aperitivo & Apericena: The Art of Easing Into the Evening

Between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Italians come together for aperitivo — a pre-dinner drink paired with small bites meant to "open the appetite."

Typical aperitivo drinks:

Aperol or Campari Spritz
White or Red Wine
Negroni, Americano, Negroni Sbagliato
Prosecco

Snacks may be as simple as olives and crisps or as thoughtful as crostini, cured meats, and miniature sandwiches or pizzas. Aperitivo is not dinner (even if the buffet looks tempting). Italians will still sit down for a meal afterward.

What not to do:

- Ordering a cappuccino

- Getting a beer tower like it’s game day

- Treating the buffet like an all-you-can-eat challenge

What to do instead:
Relax. Enjoy. Snack lightly. Socialize.

In many cities — especially places like Milan and Turin — aperitivo may take the form of apericena, a mix of aperitivo and cena (dinner). For the price of a drink, you may get access to a generous buffet featuring:

Fresh salads and vegetable dishes
Pasta, rice, or couscous
Cheeses, focaccia, cold cuts
Sometimes dessert

It’s a casual, social dinner substitute popular with younger locals. Apericena is not widespread everywhere — especially in the south or small towns — so don’t expect it in every bar.

Whether classic aperitivo or apericena, the spirit remains the same: Enjoy the moment. Connect with others.

Two glasses of Aperol spritz with gondolas in the background in Venice Italy

Cocktails Have Their Moment — but Not with Meals

Cocktail culture in Italy isn’t about flashy garnishes or rainbow liquids. It’s about simplicity, balance, and a drink that feels like it has a diploma in elegance. If wine is tradition and beer is the chill friend, cocktails are the ones who show up late and look amazing doing it.

You’ll usually order cocktails:

→ Before dinner (aperitivo)
→ After dinner (digestivo-style cocktails or classics)

Italian palates lean bitter over sugary — think herbal, citrus, classy… and zero neon colors. The vibe is: grown-up, not gummy bear.

Cocktails in Italy Etiquette

- Enjoy slowly

- Expect smaller portions than American cocktails

- Don’t order sugary "glow-stick" drinks

- Don’t expect espresso martinis everywhere — they’re not a thing in Italy

- If you don’t want to look like a tourist, avoid cocktails with your dinner

Digestivo: The Italian "Now We Chill" Moment

Just when you think dinner is over… Italy says "Not so fast."

Enter: the digestivo — the after-dinner drink that’s supposedly for digestion but definitely also for prolonging the good times. This isn’t about shots or getting sloppy. It’s about rounding out the night like a pro.

The Usual Suspects:

Limoncello — sunshine in a tiny glass (Southern Italy’s pride)
Amaro — bitter, herbal, and very adulting
Grappa — the one that separates tourists from legends

Each region has its own specialty — and locals take that very seriously. Ordering the right digestivo in the right place earns instant respect.

Digestivo Etiquette - If You Want To Look Like a Local

- Served after dessert

- Small glass, slow sip

- Enjoyed while you lounge and chat

- Best paired with: people you love and zero rush

Avoid:

- Slamming it like tequila

- Asking for something sugary if the nonnas are watching

- Ordering a cappuccino at this point — please, no

Digestivos are Italy’s way of saying: Dinner isn’t just a meal — it’s an event. And you don’t leave an event without a graceful finale.

So relax. Take your time. In Italy, the night only ends when everyone agrees it's time.

Beer: A Casual Companion, Especially With Pizza

Italians don’t make a big speech about beer. They just order it, enjoy it, and move on with their lives. It is also true that in recent times the craft movement has been growing with IPAs, sours, and weird experimental stuff.

Probably 99% of beer consumption in Italy happens while eating pizza.

Beer Etiquette, Italian Style

- Great with pizza, beach days, watching a partita (soccer match)

- Sipped, not slammed — this isn’t frat party territory

- Beer is not for refined dining or celebrations

- A large beer is fine, two maybe okay, more than that is for Bundesliga fans

Think refreshing and relaxed, not party fuel.

The Core Rule: Drink to Enjoy, Not to Get Drunk

This is probably the most important takeaway:

Drinking is social, is a pleasure, not a sport
You won’t see many drunk people on the streets
Being loud + sloppy is considered disrespectful and unclassy
Staying elegant and composed is key
Drinking supports socializing — it’s not the main event

Travel tip:
If you need to count your drinks to stay classy… you’re already behind the Italian curve.

Follow the Rhythm of the Day

When you order is just as important as what you order:

Morning

- Yes: Espresso, cappuccino

- Avoid: Alcohol of any kind

Aperitivo

- Yes: Spritz, Wine, Prosecco, Light Cocktails

- Avoid: Heavy drinks

- Beer? That's okay, especially in summer

Dinner

- Yes: Wine & Water

- Avoid: Cocktails, or (God forbid) anything with Milk

After Dinner

- Yes: Amaro, Grappa

- Avoid: Spritz, Cappuccino

- Espresso? At the end of the dinner is fine

Blend into the local flow — your experience will instantly feel more authentic.

Quick Drinking Etiquette in Italy Cheatsheet

Never fill wine glasses to the rim
Stay stylish, and social
Always sip — don’t chug, ever
Keep your voice at an elegant volume
Pair alcohol with food whenever possible
Don’t refuse the first drink of the evening (unless absolutely necessary)

Italy is a place where alcohol is tasted and enjoyed — not rushed.

FAQs: Drinking in Italy

Can I order a cappuccino at night?
Technically yes — but it’s a tourist move. Italians consider milk-based coffee a morning drink.

Can I walk around with alcoholic drinks?
Is it legal and allowed: Yes. Is it something Italians do: No

What’s the legal drinking age?
18 for purchasing alcohol.

Do Italians drink wine every day?
Often yes — in moderation, with meals.

Is it rude to decline alcohol?
Not rude — but refusing it will not help you to blend in. Tip: accept and then have just a micro sip, no one will really notice and in any case they will appreciate the effort

Is food included with the aperitivo?
Light snacks usually are, but offerings can vary greatly. Buffets are more common at trendy bars in the cities.

Is it expensive to drink in Italy?
Wine is generally very fairly priced. Cocktails can be expensive in trendy areas.

Do I need to tip at bars?
Not required. A small round-up is appreciated when seated at a table.

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