/ Our magazine / The gourmet aperitif on the beach, here's what you should not miss
/ Our magazine / The gourmet aperitif on the beach, here's what you should not miss
We have plunged into the middle of summer. If you don’t live by the sea or a lake, you are surely dreaming of organizing a weekend as soon as possible to spend at the shore or a day trip with your lifelong friends.
What we are about to propose can also spark your imagination for organizing a reunion with friends you haven’t seen in a while. At a good aperitif with company, no one will ever say no, especially if it’s a gourmet aperitif in an absolutely perfect location!
No matter where you live, by the lake, by the sea, in the mountains, or among the green hills, we know that we won’t disappoint you; rather, we will enjoy stimulating your imagination with some delicious ideas for a perfect aperitif by the sea.
Well, what can we say… for us at Spaghetti & Mandolino, a fantastic location is definitely the shore, during the last hours of the day. The sunset, the breeze from the sea starting to rise, in short, a golden hour that is absolutely perfect for your relaxing aperitif.
But if you are not a lover of the sea, if you hate feeling sand under your feet and the salty air of the sea, you can always decide to recreate the same idea of a sunset aperitif by the lake.
But if these summery locations don’t thrill you, then in summer your favorite spot will surely be a beautiful pool, surrounded by a lush and soft “green carpet”.
The time we recommend is always that of the sunset, the last hours of light of the day.
July and mid-August are definitely the perfect months; with the long days, you can savor all the beauty and taste of this delight until late evening, enjoying the best moments of the day, the sunset and the dusk.
Well, what more could you want?
But we haven’t forgotten the lovers of boats, because unless you suffer from severe seasickness, enjoying a fantastic sunset aperitif at sea or on a lake from a boat is an extraordinary experience that you must absolutely try at least once in your life!
We assure you, you won’t be disappointed; rather, it will be a unique experience.
So, wherever you love to spend the summer, for this gourmet aperitif dress in light and comfortable clothes, in a light color, white, beige, or similar, and strictly barefoot.
We can already imagine you with your feet on the warm sand, among the pebbles on the shores of the lake, or with your feet immersed in that cool and soft green carpet, or directly “in the water” by the poolside.
Add a gentle breeze at the end of the day that caresses your face and tosses your hair, and that sun that is now pale, marking the last hours of the day.
Aahh, what wellness!
Even just this contact with nature should be a remedy for body and mind in itself.
But in all this, we want to imagine you with a nice aperitif in hand. Curious?
Continue reading to discover all our proposals and our best tips.
For a location that is entirely different from the usual, lay out some white blankets on the ground. White has always been a symbol of order and purity. Settle down on the blanket, ready to enjoy that fantastic sunset.
If you want to create something even more VIP, get some big cushions; you can sit on them or use them to lie down and enjoy all this goodness.
“Set the table” in the space you will dedicate to the aperitif with one or more diamond-shaped placemats, symbols of warmth and freshness.
If you really want to impress your friends, while you are still at home, rub the placemats with mint leaves; they will give off a fresh scent that will last throughout the evening.
Our idea of an aperitif is perfect if shared with lifelong friends, or for a summer reunion with old classmates or old friendships rekindled.
But given the perfectly lovely location, you can also think of enjoying such a beautiful and relaxing aperitif alone with your partner.
But let’s get to the point… if so far we have piqued your curiosity, now comes the fun part; we have thought of everyone and all tastes.
Whether your company is from Veneto or your friends come from all over Italy, don’t worry, we have the perfect solution for you!
Are your friends from Milan? You definitely can’t go wrong if you offer them an aperitif based on Gin Tonic or a good bottle of Franciacorta.
The Gin Tonic is increasingly seen as an alternative cocktail to the usual aperitif; in fact, it often appears in many recipes by famous chefs. So how could we not recommend it for your gourmet aperitif?
Among the best pairings in terms of food are definitely olives and all kinds of cheeses, particularly the blue cheeses and the aged cheeses.
The king of cheese pairings we propose is undoubtedly the Blu Gins from La Casearia Carpenedo. A high-quality blue cheese, aged in Roby Marton Gin: the exaltation of creaminess in a concentration of aromatic sensations typical of Gin.
Another great cheese that pairs very well with a Gin Tonic is undoubtedly the Zenzerito, a trilactic blue cheese (cow, sheep, and goat) aged with ginger, lime, and red pepper.
For this cheese, we recommend preparing cocktails with an aromatic London Dry Gin and with pimento tonic.
Finally, we recommend Cimbro by Corrado Benedetti, an aromatic cheese aged with rosemary and sage.
A delicious cheese platter of cheeses is not the only dish that can be enjoyed alongside a good Gin Tonic.
Pasta in all its fresher and more summery versions, accompanied for example by a subtle aroma of truffle, can be an excellent solution, but not only; other perfect pairings are tasty platters of Prosciutto di Parma DOP, accompanied by aged Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and speck.
Contemporary cuisine pairings are definitely all worth trying!
The Franciacorta, in its pas dosé to brut versions, is perfect for a refined aperitif based on traditional Italian cold cuts like culatello, San Daniele prosciutto, speck, or bresaola, accompanied by rich little toasts covered in creamy cheeses, vegetables, and spices.
The sweetness and saltiness of these delicious delicacies are incredibly enhanced by the flavor and freshness of Franciacorta wine.
Equally excellent is the pairing of a good bottle of Franciacorta with a zucchini flower and anchovy flatbread, or paired with delightful mixed tapas, if you want to give a less traditional touch to your gourmet aperitif.
Franciacorta, in its various forms, is nonetheless a very versatile wine; it doesn’t shy away even from first courses, which you can easily propose as single servings during your aperitif.
The taste importance of the wine and its freshness lead us to recommend flavorful and creamy dishes; a first course that is too delicate, with few flavors, risks disappearing alongside a Franciacorta, especially if it has been aged for long.
Therefore, we recommend well-stirred risottos, pasta timbales, creamy spaghetti, or penne with eggplant cream and salted ricotta.
Finally, if you aim for a bottle of Franciacorta particularly rich in fragrances and flavors, perhaps a fine cuvée with long aging, you’ll impress your friends with a black squid risotto or spaghetti with bottarga.
If for your gourmet aperitif you were thinking about reconnecting with old university friends, all from Trentino, don’t be surprised if they suggest the Spritz Hugo, a fresh aperitif, a true must for the Trentino people.
Even if its taste is fresh and slightly sweet, don’t worry; besides being a truly summery and refreshing drink, it pairs perfectly with various dishes and aperitif snacks: very simple savory cakes “like pizza margherita”, which you can enrich as you like with a spicy note, but also pieces of piadina with salmon and buffalo cheese, or pasta with pesto and Cantonese rice.
If you feel like trying your hand at cooking, you can propose the Spritz Hugo as a drink to accompany some mixed paella.
If instead your company is entirely Venetian, you can never go wrong offering a classic Spritz Aperol or in the Campari version, mixed or even a good Americano, dedicated to those who love stronger aperitifs.
A particular pairing that will surely leave everyone astonished is to enjoy an Americano alongside a single serving of pumpkin risotto.
We know we have surprised you! A pairing that is definitely outside the box; but we assure you that the bitter flavor of the cocktail balances perfectly with the sweetness of the pumpkin.
Returning to “more sober” and classic pairings to accompany the traditional Spritz, we can suggest preparing single servings of salmon or anchovies, but also a platter of classic cold cuts, cooked and raw ham, accompanied by taralli or big breadsticks and fresh vegetables. With the exception of tomatoes, dried ones are the best pairing for best enjoying the Spritz.
If you love sauces, you can prepare avocado hummus, teriyaki and worcestershire sauce, or experiment with sauces made of herbs like basil, parsley, and chives, or even coriander and wild fennel.
They will be perfect as an accompaniment to some fresh vegetables or spread on some slices of bread.
Regarding the world of cheese, fresh types are preferable fresh: from burrata, to robiola, from ricotta, to mozzarella.
But of course, with this traditional aperitif drink, you can also indulge in preparing various snacks and savory pies.
Some advice: shortcrust pastry baskets filled with Grana Padano DOP cream, mortadella mousse on whole wheat bread, vol au vent with chicken white ragu, savory cannoli with pea cream, pastry ravioli with broccoli and anchovies, savory tarts with caramelized onions, canapés with eggplant and bacon.
If you are not a fan of cocktails, you might think about preparing a gourmet aperitif by the sea totally based on wine.
Depending on your preferences, you could suggest some bubbles choosing between the classic Prosecco Brut, or let yourself be carried away by the flavors of still white wines like Lugana, Soave, Chardonnay, Custoza, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco; or the sweeter notes of wines like Gewürztraminer.
But let’s go in order.
Different types of canapés and filled profiteroles based only on vegetables or fish, but also platters of moderately aged cheeses and cured meats are perfect accompaniments for a bottle of Prosecco, capable of enhancing the taste and olfactory characteristics of these delights.
The bubbles of the Prosecco are perfect if enjoyed with cured meats that have a harmonious flavor, such as cooked ham and mortadella. It is best to avoid pairings with spicy hams, as well as with blue cheeses or overly aged cheeses; we therefore recommend pairing with lighter products, both cow and goat.
Perfect served with Prosecco are different types of savory pies made with vegetables and smoked cheeses.
Asparagus and radicchio, as well as onions or carrots, are excellent ingredients; the bitter of the first and the sweetness of the latter pair perfectly with the saltiness and aromaticity of Prosecco.
Among the cheeses, those with a more smoky flavor, such as smoked scamorza, provola and smoked caciocavallo are preferable. Their taste is balanced by the carbon dioxide bubbles in the Prosecco.
Prosecco is also ideal for enhancing the aromatic characteristics of all preparations based on mushrooms and truffles; you can think of trying your hand at preparing single servings of risotto or pasta with sauces or flavored with mushroom or truffle notes.
But especially in the height of summer, you can always choose simplicity and freshness, so Prosecco makes a great companion when there are fresh salads, rice or spelt salad with fresh or pickled vegetables or the classic caprese. We recommend: spelt salad dressed with cherry tomatoes and avocado, or with shrimp, mango, and pecan nuts.
A delicious fresh recipe that’s easy and quick to prepare, but far from obvious, to impress your friends with the simplicity of these products.
Pinot Bianco
A versatile wine that pairs well with canapés of all kinds, but also obviously with single servings of pasta and rice dressed with fish or vegetable sauces.
Pinot Bianco is perfect when enjoyed with pasta with pesto, or with a fresh anchovy and burrata pie.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay pairs perfectly by contrast, that is, the acidity of the wine goes perfectly with the saltiness of cured meats and aged cheeses.
We recommend proposing it in your gourmet aperitif with slices of mortadella, or with preparations like pizza margherita, with buffalo mozzarella and tomato.
Pinot Grigio
Its characteristics stand out when paired with savory crepes with potatoes, speck, and goat cheese, or with tasty first courses: mezze maniche with curry and crispy sausage, pasta with salmon and avocado, trofie with herbs and pecorino, paccheri with orange pesto and swordfish; or stuffed rice cakes with turnip tops, anchovies, and pecorino.
Gewürztraminer
If you love sweet notes, we recommend enjoying a good Gewürztraminer to accompany a potato and tomato tart; but also with tasty snacks flavored with truffles like the typical toasts or tarallini.
If you want to take to the kitchen, for a truly chic and refined aperitif, you can prepare single servings of risotto or pasta with truffles.
Gewürztraminer is a wine that pairs well with smoked foods, perfect when enjoyed with speck, but also with carne salada or mortadella.
Among the first courses, those that go best with this wine are: Cantonese rice and tortelli mantovani, filled with pumpkin, mustard, nutmeg, and parmesan.
Although you may not have expected it, it is truly an exceptional wine, pairing well with more particular flavors: ginger and its flowers, curry, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, raisins, dried fruit, citron, cardamom, and avocado. It should be avoided with overly salty or excessively spicy dishes.
And if your friends are from the south?
They will almost certainly not have any problems about what to drink, but they will surely ask you to bring good food.
So Pugliese taralli, accompanied by mixed cured meats with cheeses, jams, and mustards, from the spicier to the less spicy, could certainly be a good solution.
But telling your friends from the south not to cook is, let’s say it among ourselves... almost an offense… You already know that they will arrive with some cooked preparation even if it’s the height of summer!
And so, as we have seen, for a delicious aperitif, certainly some very tasty and tempting preparations that pair well with various “drinks” are savory pies in all their forms and variations.
They are delicious with any filling you decide to prepare: you can stuff them just like a pizza to your liking or with just tomato and mozzarella, but also with classic cured meats, like cooked ham or speck, which, once cooked, along with the puff pastry, will give a very flavorful taste to the entire dish.
No one is going to shy away from a bit of good pasta either; you can decide to dress it with just tomato sauce, oregano, and a drizzle of oil, or try your hand at preparations with seasonal vegetables and pieces of cured meat; among the musts in these preparations, we suggest pancetta, speck, or the classic cooked ham.
For more delicate dishes but with an equally "sharp" and strong taste, we recommend trying pairings with anchovies.
Risottos eaten warm or cold in convenient single servings could also turn out to be good allies.
In summer, preparations based on couscous and quinoa, dressed with vegetables and light cheese, are perfect; if you are a fan of meat, you can always add cubes of cooked ham or speck.
But a fresh and light preparation could also be simple pickled vegetables served with light and fresh cheese.
Do not forget, however, that in summer some “one-dish meals” typically summer could be the solution for you.
Fresh cooked ham served with fresh slices or cubes of melon, or buffalo mozzarella accompanied by breadsticks and slices of cooked ham. But also bresaola with small pieces of mozzarella and fresh arugula, or a more classic caprese.
But also canapés of various kinds dressed with fresh cheese and carpaccio of salmon, tuna, trout, or octopus, seasoned to your liking with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and some herbs like mint, lemon, lime, basil, and oregano.
Without taking away from the freshness and lightness of these preparations, remember that your friends, especially if they come from southern Italy, might show up with some typical preparation of theirs like a delicious eggplant parmigiana or caponata to accompany with some fragrant slices of bread.
We already have our mouths watering… and you? Are you ready to organize your stylish gourmet aperitif?
Buy the best quality products in our shop and tell us about the preparations and pairings you have enjoyed.
S&M
We recommend that you enjoy
english
ITALY
ITALY/EUR✔ You have added the product to your cart!
