Italians typically drink wine rather than beer or cocktails with meals, with the exception of pizza, which they usually drink with beer.
In the homes and good restaurants of Italy the only beverages served during lunch or dinner are wine (red, white, rosé or Prosecco) and water (frizzante (carbonated) or naturale (still/no gas). And remember that ice water (or iced wine) is a violation of another Italian Food Rule.
After midday Italians drink their coffee black and will happily continue drinking into the evening. Later in the day, they may well add a slug of grappa or other liquor to their espresso to create a caffè corretto, but they would never consider adding milk.
It is said that Italians drink at least a glass of wine per day, and we're sure that's true. While the rest of the world may consider drinking 'wine' as a luxury, in Italy, it is treated as an everyday custom. Lunch, dinner or dessert – Italians love to pair their meals with a hearty glass of vino.
Campari. Originating from a small local bar in the province of Novara in the 1800s, Campari is now a widely favourite drink in Italy and across the world. Made from a mixture of herbs, spices, fruits and alcohol, Gaspare Campari formulated the bitter recipe for the drink that later took over Italy and Europe by storm.
Limoncello
One of the most popular Italian drinks is the homemade limoncello. It's made of lemon peel by adding water, alcohol, and sugar; brown sugar is preferred.
Traditionally, an aperitivo is a carbonated, bitter, and low-alcohol beverage, such as the Aperol spritz, which is made with Prosecco, Aperol, and a spritz of sparkling mineral water. More flexible today, orders range from wine to beer to a variety of mixed drinks.
The classic Italian espresso drink, a cappuccino is equal parts espresso, milk foam and steamed milk. They are most commonly enjoyed before or during breakfast, but never after a meal.
Simply put, the Italian digestif or digestivo is an alcoholic drink served after dinner to help with digestion.
Especially at local cafes that aren't used to tourists, you might just get a very funny look! Italians have a thing about drinking cappuccino after noon. It's just not done (some say it's because the milk and foam makes it a replacement for a meal, and all that dairy upsets the digestion).
Thou shalt only drink cappuccino, caffé latte, latte macchiato or any milky form of coffee in the morning, and never after a meal. Italians cringe at the thought of all that hot milk hitting a full stomach. An American friend of mine who has lived in Rome for many years continues, knowingly, to break this rule.
One of these customs is that it is considered strange to order a cappuccino after 11am. The reason for this is that cappuccinos are traditionally considered a morning drink. They are made with equal parts of espresso, steamed milk, and foam, and are typically drunk with a sweet breakfast pastry or croissant.
Since Italians have about six hours between lunch and dinner, they usually grab something in between: These snacks are called merende and are basically morning or afternoon pick-me ups that can be sweet (like fruit or biscotti, a hard cookie) or savory (like crackers or a slice of pizza al taglio).
At least once a day practically all Italians consume coffee (or coffee-based drinks): espresso (more than 90%), ristretto, long, macchiato (hot or cold), corretto, americano, marocchino, moka, cappuccino, caffelatte, mocaccino, affogato and so on and so forth.
Since pasta dishes with tomato sauce are acidic, it's best to pair them with a medium-bodied red wine. A wine that doesn't match the acidity of the sauce will make the wine taste bland. An example of the perfect red wine for a tomato-based sauce would be a cabernet sauvignon or Zinfandel.
11:00pm – Midnight.
According to Italian etiquette, you should leave a very tiny amount of food (or no food) on your plate. Leaving food on the plate is considered rude in Italy. Italy has, in fact, developed a culture that places a high value on food and eating.
Consuming milk after a meal, Italians believe, will totally screw up your digestion. And since that's not something they are wont to do, they avoid milk when eating. Breakfast doesn't count, because Italian breakfast typically consists of a coffee drink and a pastry and that's it.
Italians like fresh milk just as much as North Americans do, but research shows that its consumption as a drink is less in Italian adults. A glass of milk isn't commonly available in coffee bars and especially in restaurants because Italians don't have milk with their meals.
The word for milk in Italian is latte (masculine, plural: latti).
What are the most popular Italian liqueurs? Although Aperol is seemingly everywhere now, Campari is arguably Italy's most popular aperitivo liqueur. This bitter red Italian liqueur works just as well with a splash of soda as it does in some of Italy's most famous cocktails – from the Americano to the Negroni.