The aperitif is a very Italian, but especially Milanese ritual. Born at the end of the 18th century in Turin, it has rapidly become an established tradition in the city of Milan, which every evening celebrates the end of the working day in this way. Marchesi 1824's Milanese aperitif combines the best barman creations, such as the iconic Marchesi Cocktail, with a triumph of small savoury mignons.
Evening cocktails and other drinks, mostly based on vermouth, vegetable bitters or aged wines, paired with small samples of savoury preparations with the sole purpose of providing a treat before the evening meal. This is the aperitif.
Much more than a simple occasion to whet the appetite, the aperitif is a true cultural and gastronomic movement that unites many Italians and, above all, the Milanese. Born in 1786 in a small liquor shop in Turin from the mind of Antonio Benedetto Carpano, the creator of the first vermouth, it quickly spread to Milan where, from the early 20th century through the era of Milano da bere, it became a ritual very much felt in all the bars of the Milanese metropolis, which has conquered the title of the Italian capital of the aperitivo.
Sensitive from the outset to the appeal of this nouvelle vague, Angelo Marchesi, the first patron of the Marchesi 1824 patisserie, introduced it in the 1930s in the historic bar in Via Santa Maria alla Porta, which was immediately recognised as one of the city's cult aperitif venues. Alongside cakes and other delicacies, small savoury mignons made their triumphant entrance on the pastry counter together with spirits-based polybibites, all created with the same attention to detail and immense love for the raw material that the pastry chef put into each of his creations. Marchesi 1824 still celebrates the tradition of the Milanese aperitif through a triumph of the finest pastries - precious puffs, cannoncini, cream puffs and tartlets in savoury versions - accompanying the most popular signature cocktails, such as the spritz or the iconic Marchesi Cocktail.
This year, to celebrate its two hundredth anniversary, it has unveiled a new cocktail menu with an emphasis on Italian style and Milanese tradition. This selection skilfully combines timeless classics with innovative new proposals, such as the Old Marchesi Milano, a reinterpretation that evokes the flavours of the famous Milanese risotto thanks to the delicate notes of saffron.
Furthermore, to pay homage to one of the most iconic cocktails in the tradition, three new interpretations of the classic Negroni have been introduced. Each of these is enriched with hints of raspberry, green apple and grapefruit, while the whole is accompanied by the iconic Marchesi 1824 jellies, which lend a distinctive touch of craftsmanship and tradition to the proposal. This intertwining of the world of mixology and sweet creations comes to life in the historical spaces of the Marchesi pastry shop, witness to a long and unparalleled history. In fact, the traditional ritual of the aperitif finds its ideal setting in the evocative spaces of the historic Pasticceria in Via Santa Maria alla Porta, in the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - offering a breathtaking view of Milan's Salotto and similarly in the refined setting of Via Monte Napoleone or in London, in the prestigious Mayfair district.
