Aperitivo Festival first edition in Milan

From 26 to 28 May 2023 – events, masterclasses and tastings will animate the Milanese capital and help to raise funds for the Civil Defence in Emilia Romagna.

The Italian Aperitif Weekend

Milan, 24 May 2023 – Milan is getting ready to host the first edition of Aperitivo Festival, the event created as an extension of the World Aperitivo Day, wanted and managed by MWW Group. It will take place from 26 to 28 May will in the premises of the 📍 Nhow Hotel in via Tortona 35 and in various venues of the Tortona Savona District.

A weekend dedicated to food and beverage

Starring the best food & beverage brands, food and beverage excellences, and Italian professionals in the sector, with the aim of enhancing and promoting the all-Italian ritual, raising public awareness on responsible alcohol consumption.

Aperitivo Festival opens its doors to the public on Friday 26 May at 5 pm.

Cocktails and paired food tastings

All spectators with an ‘all inclusive’ ticket ( 🎟 available here ! ) will be able to visit and enjoy the tasting itinerary consisting of more than 20 stations dedicated to the pairings of the leading Brands and Partners.

An experience journey that will animate the premises of the Nhow Milan in via Tortona in Milan, throughout the weekend!

The Aperitivo Festival pairings – download here

To promote the culture of the aperitif with tastings, masterclasses, talks and multiple opportunities for musical entertainment.

Carrefour Italia’s Welcome Aperitivo

Carrefour Italiaʼs Welcome Aperitif offers for tasting a selection of wines from the Terre dʼItalia line paired with Pecorino Toscano DOP, Tarallini di Barletta and Taggiasca Olive Pate.

It will also be present with a dedicated space, where it will be possible to taste 4 exclusive recipes created by chef Daniel Canzian with Terre d’Italia products, for a true journey through the Italian food and wine tradition

Consorzio della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP

The Consorzio della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP instead proposes an unusual pairing with gin and tonic.

The Slow Wine area will serve white and rosé wines accompanied by products selected by Slow Fish.

Lurisia non-alcoholic beverages will be ideal to accompany the finger food made by the Federazione Italiana Cuochi; Corona will combine the iconic beer with tasty chips.

Gin Malfy and Parma ham

Gin tonic Malfy is present in its 4 declinations- paired with 24-month Parma Ham.

And again a glass of San Zeno Metodo Classico Zonin accompanied by a selection of cicchetti.

A novelty in the Milanese panorama, the Camallo Cocktail, made with Amaro Camatti of Ligurian origin, consistently paired with the typical Focaccia di Recco (Antica focacceria di Recco))

Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano will involve the public with a series of tastings with the legendary cheese declined in different recipes such as the “Tigellina stuffed with bacon mountain pesto with rosemary and 36-month Parmigiano Reggiano” or the “Sphere of 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano ice cream on a walnut wholemeal bread disk and a drop of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena”.

“Milano meets Parma”

Cibus e TuttoFood Milano seal their union with the ‘Milan meets Parma’ pairing, where Negroni Sbagliato will be served with Tortello di erbette alla Parmigiana

Spirito Autoctono will accompany spectators in the tasting of refined gins, vermouths and bitters to be tried together with a selection of aged Parmigiano Reggiano and typical Italian cheeses from the Caseificio La Cilentana.

The Sant’Orsola winery will offer its Prosecco LX Brut DOC in combination with Salsiccia di Bra (Bra sausage); savoury pastries in 12 flavours from the Flamigni 1930 pastry shop will be paired with a selection of NIO cocktails.

An important selection of wines provided by Partesa will be accompanied by Renzini‘s Prosciutto di Norcia IGP LUI at the knife. Finally, Birra Poretti will be served in the 7 Blanche, 8 Pils Birra and 9 IPA versions, paired with a vegan savoury pie.

Coldiretti and Campagna Amica, during the Festival days, will carry out tastings of Lombardy wines accompanied by typical local products.

The Aperitivo Festival 2023 programme

The Aperitivo Festival will see a succession of talks, tastings and appointments that will animate the stage inside the Nhow Hotel in via Tortona 35, from 11 a.m. till night.

FRIDAY 26 MAY

Talk Mobility and responsible consumption

On Friday 26 at 5.30 p.m. FIPE-Confcommercio, Federazione Italiana Pubblici Esercizi and Uber,the private car transport company, will hold the talk ‘Mobility and Responsible Consumption’.

Food Ensemble – The Art of Cooking meets Electronic Music

At 7 p.m. Music and Food meet – the Food Ensemble performance, a multisensory experience.

The sounds produced during the making of a dish are transposed into music, the ingredients are composed and become tastes for the spectators.

A project that fuses the art of cooking with electronic music.

Events and masterclasses for professionals

At the Phyd Hub in via Tortona 31, all operators in the sector will be able to attend free of charge, after registering on the Aperitivo Festival website, the various appointments dedicated to them which will enable them to deepen their knowledge of the techniques, products and pairings presented by the Partner Brands and Consortia.

These include: “The authentic taste of the Italian aperitif with Lurisia” and the “Parmigiano Reggiano Masterclass”, where bartender Mirko Turconi will teach the best combinations between different seasonings and cocktails.

Download the programme

SATURDAY 27 MAY

Mixologists at work

On Saturday 27 May, the day opens at 11 a.m. with a selection of internationally recognised mixologists who, thanks to the contribution of ICE – Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian companies, will arrive in Milan to offer the public a glimpse of Aperitivo Around the World.

On the occasion of the World Aperitivo Day, they will activate special pairings in their venues abroad that will contribute to promoting the Italian aperitif around the world.

This initiative launches the internationalisation process of the Aperitivo Festival, which in 2024 will also land in London, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai.

Talk Aperitivo della Sciura Milanese

At 5 p.m., an irreverent talk will be held to discover the “Aperitivo della Sciura Milanese” with the Magnifiche Perennial, the Milanese influencer duo that has created a large community followed by the Milanese salons.

An opportunity to analyse the evolution of the Italian aperitivo over the years, thanks also to the contribution of Private Chef Edoardo Notizia, who will delight guests with a surprising food pairing at the end of the meeting.

MasterClass Sicilian aperitif pleasures

At 6 p.m. it will be the time of the masterclass dedicated to the ‘Pleasure of Sicilian Aperitif’, led by chef Adriano Egitto of the Muddica restaurant in Milan.

Saturday closes with a special appointment with the Food Ensemble.

Moreover, at the Phyd Hub in via Tortona 31, by purchasing a ‘superior’ ticket it will be possible to participate in a sensory journey guided by a Vinhood expert at different times of the day, such as the Beershow Vinhood’ masterclass with a blind tasting of excellent craft beer, enriched by an ad hoc food pairing.

Beershow Vinhood

SUNDAY 28 MAY

The Astro Aperitif by Massimo Giannone

On Sunday 28 May, at 6 p.m., astrologer and psychic Massimo Giannone will take the stage with his iconic ‘Astro-aperitivo‘ format, entertaining the public with card readings between cocktails.

Art will also be the protagonist of the Aperitivo Festival. In fact, the Nhow Hotel will host the collective of works dedicated to the Italian Aperitivo created by the artists who responded to the call to action launched by the famous illustrator Francesco Poroli, creator of the Festival logo.

A festival that will involve the entire Tortona Savona District and beyond.

Coldiretti and Campagna Amica will involve a series of Farmers’ Markets throughout Italy that will promote the aperitif made with typical regional products. In Milan, at Via Friuli 10/A, from 5 to 10 pm, it will be possible to taste an agri-aperitivo in the courtyard outside. You will also be able to buy online everything you need for a farmer’s aperitif to be enjoyed wherever you wish, choosing between two proposals: the garden agribag and the farmer’s agribag.

For information and tickets

Tickets for the Aperitivo Festival can be purchased via the Fever ticketing platform for 35 euros

Romagna, committed to stemming the health emergency that has hit the region in recent days.

🌐 aperitivofestival.com/

A tangible signal to help the many families and businesses in the area tragically affected by the flooding.

Main Sponsor: Carrefour

Top Sponsor: Parmigiano Reggiano

Institutional Partners : ICE – Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian companies;; Coldiretti; FIPE – Confcommercio; Tuttofood/Cibus; Epam


Sponsor: Malfy; Lurisia; Partesa; Zonin; Sant’Orsola; Corona; Flamigni

Partners: Slow Wine; Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma; Amaro Camatti; Poretti; Consorzio di Tutela Mozzarella di Bufala Campana; NIO Cocktails; Terre d’Italia; Renzini; Vinhood; Antica Forneria di Recco; Caseificio La Cilentana

Official Water: Lurisia
Media Partner: Vendemmie.com
Spirito Autoctono

Mobility Partner: Uber. – Technical Partner: Samurai – Patronage: FIC – Federazione Italiana Cuochi