Aperitivo Time!

Who doesn’t love a great happy hour? Everywhere you go in San Diego has something to offer for these couple of golden hours when people can go to a restaurant and socialize without maxing out their credit cards. And it isn’t just an American past-time.

In Italy, in almost every public square you will find a café that has an Aperitivo time, or what we would hall happy hour. It's the time when Italians meet before dinner for drinks. But rather than it being held early in the evening like at 5:00, the usual American time, it’s held around 7pm and the drinks aren't discounted. As most people are leaving work, they will stop by one of these cafés, suits still on with briefcases and Blackberries in hand, just to be part of the scene.

The most common drink to order at an Italian happy hour is a Spritz, a wine based cocktail prepared with sparkling white wine, here a Prosecco, and a base of one of two famous bitter liqueurs, Aperol or Campari. The rule for the Spritz is that it has to be red. Aperol cocktails are refreshing, palate pleasing light drinks, while the Campari cocktails are a little bitterer for those who want a slightly stronger tasting drink. And now for the best part, to sit back, relax and enjoy the cocktail as you unwind from a stressful day at work.

As summer is right around the corner, and patios fill up, why not try something a little different for happy hour? Order a Spritz and feel like you’re in an Italian piazza enjoying the good life.