EARLY evening in Italy’s fashionable hot spots and you’re a social outcast if you are not indulging in a relaxing aperitivo or two. You are there cleansing your palate, stimulating your appetite or just being dolce vita jolly. Look upon it less as an alternative to the Americanised happy hour, more as the overture to dinner and a sparkling evening ahead.
It’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it
Whatever your sipping tipple of choice – beer, wine, Prosecco, or a wicked little cocktail – it’s one of the great Italian traditions, much more sociable than a nightcap. You accompany it with nibbles, simple or sophisticated, and the conversation flows. It’s catching on over here now. What took it so long?
The perfect introduction in Manchester is the newly launched Aperitivo Menu at Fumo in St Peter’s Square. As part of the award-winning San Carlo Group, the Italian tradition of hospitality reigns supreme against a glamorous backdrop that’s all glass, gold and marble. It helps of course that the cocktail list is arguably the best in town and the acclaimed kitchen, sibling of Cicchetti, is well geared to serving a succession of small dishes.
Aperitivo is available from 19 May, operates from 4pm-7pm, Sunday to Thursday, and offers a two for one deal on the following: house wine, Prosecco, Peroni beer and five signature cocktails. All will be served with complimentary Italian bar snacks which may include: assorted pizza bites, bruschetta and arancini (stuffed rice balls).
The signature cocktails look especially enticing. I tried out all the contenders – it’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it.
After all aperitivo culture is built around mixing drinks. It is generally credited to Antonio Benedetto Carpano, inventor of Vermouth which he first made in Turin in 1786 by infusing Moscato white wine with herbs and spices. Apparently the drink was considered perfect for opening the stomach before a good meal.
Within no time at all, the shop where Antonio worked on in piazza Castello was the most popular bar in Turin. Fast forward a couple of hundred years and the daily ritual hasn’t changed much. The Fumo version in Manchester is doing it proud.
As a perfect way to unwind after work I’d recommend:
Aperol Spritz £9 for two
Delicious bitter sweet orange fizz, the most popular aperitif in Italy. Uncomplicated pleasure.
Sloe & Sticky £9.50 for two
Fruity fizz but much drier. I love the blend of rhubarb, Sipsmith Sloe Gin and Prosecco – a great appetite sharpener.
Wild Hibiscus Mojito £9 for two
Bacardi Carta Blanca, hibiscus flower, lime and cranberry – a pink, citrus-led version of this refreshing classic.
The Bramble £8 for two
My personal favourite marries gorgeous Portobello gin, blackberry and lemon juice – so fruity and refreshing .
Elderbeer £8.50 for two
A close runner-up. What a cheeky surprise this lager lookalike is. It’s not just the look of of it; the Italian artisan beer base combines with a dash of citric acid, St Germain elderflower to create a kind of cocktail shandy.
The Hugo £9.50 for two
The third Prosecco based potion is summer in a glass thanks to a delicate input of mint and elderflower.
PLUS: Two bottles of Prosecco for £31.95,; two bottles of house wine £19.75; two bottle of Peroni £3.90.
Fumo, St Peters Square, 1 St Peter's Square, Manchester M1 5AN. 0161 236 7344.
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