Italian drinks guide
Italian digestivi
Last updated
In Italy the meal doesn't end with the last plate — it ends with a small glass. Digestivi are the after-dinner drinks: bittersweet amari made with herbs and roots, bright lemon limoncello, clear grappa, anise sambuca, walnut nocino and myrtle-berry mirto. They're poured in small measures, often neat or chilled, and sipped slowly while the table keeps talking. Below is every digestivo on the site, each with its own page on taste and serving. Larry's rule: nobody leaves the table before the amaro.
Quick answer
A digestivo is a drink served after a meal. The main Italian styles are amaro (bittersweet herbal liqueur), limoncello (sweet lemon liqueur, served ice-cold), grappa (a spirit distilled from grape pomace), sambuca (anise liqueur), nocino (walnut liqueur) and mirto (Sardinian myrtle liqueur). Serve them in small glasses, neat or chilled.
Digestivi
After the plates come off
Amaro (Averna, Montenegro, Nonino)
Herbal bitter, 30–35% ABV
Averna is caramel and sweet; Montenegro is floral; Nonino is grappa-based and dry.
Fernet-Branca
Aggressively bitter mint, 39% ABV
Tastes like a dare. Genuinely settles a heavy dinner.
Limoncello
Lemon liqueur, 28% ABV
Sorrento lemons, grain alcohol, sugar, patience. Never serve it warm.
Grappa
Pomace brandy, 40–45% ABV
A young grappa is fiery; a barrel-aged riserva drinks like brandy.
Sambuca con la Mosca
Anise liqueur, 38% ABV
Three beans for health, happiness and prosperity. Larry always takes four.
Vin Santo with Cantucci
Sweet Tuscan dessert wine
The dunk is mandatory. This is the one dessert rule Larry respects.
Nocino
Green walnut liqueur, dark and spiced, 30% ABV
Emilia-Romagna's homemade digestivo. Tastes like Christmas cake with a coat on.
Mirto di Sardegna
Myrtle berry liqueur, 32% ABV
Sardinia's answer to limoncello. Herbal, dark purple, dangerously easy after a big dinner.
Caffè Corretto
Espresso 'corrected' with grappa or sambuca
Coffee and digestivo in one cup. Standard order at 11 a.m. in northern Italy, and Larry keeps that tradition alive.
Amaretto
Almond liqueur, 28% ABV
Sweet enough to be dessert, strong enough to end the argument.
Frangelico
Hazelnut liqueur, 20% ABV
From Piedmont's hazelnut country. The monk bottle sells itself.
Averna
Sicilian amaro, round and caramel, 29% ABV
The gateway amaro. Soft enough to convert anyone.
Amaro Montenegro
Floral, orange-peel amaro, 23% ABV
Bologna since 1885. Bartenders' favorite 'shift drink'.
Strega
Saffron-yellow herbal liqueur, 40% ABV
'Strega' means witch. Legend says two people who share a glass will marry.
Galliano
Vanilla-anise liqueur, 30% ABV
The tallest bottle on the back bar. Impossible to miss, hard to dust.
Pair them with Italian antipasti, aperitivo hour or sausage and peppers.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an aperitivo and a digestivo?
An aperitivo is served before the meal to open the appetite; a digestivo is served after it to close the meal.
How should limoncello be served?
Very cold, straight from the freezer, in a small chilled glass.
What is amaro?
Amaro is a family of Italian bittersweet herbal liqueurs. Each brand and region has its own recipe of herbs, roots and citrus.
How much digestivo is a normal pour?
A small one — usually a single short glass, sipped slowly.
Can I make Italian liqueurs at home?
Yes. Limoncello and nocino are both traditionally made at home as well as bought; their pages cover the basics.
More: Wine Pairing 101 · Best wine for sausage and peppers · All recipes · Zero-proof drinks · All drinks