If you’ve been to Italy – or to an Italian restaurant, I guess – you’re definitely familiar with aperitivo, an Italian tradition known around the world. And even if you’ve never experienced it firsthand, chances are you’ve at least read about it: we, too, have a pretty good article on Italian aperitivo, go take a look.

Aperitivo is joyous and mood-lifting, it relaxes you after a day of work or prepares you for the night to come, depending on whether you see it more like the conclusion or the beginning of your public day. I personally like pre-dinner drinks to be followed by either a good meal with my friends or the comfort of my own home, but that may just be a matter of age: 10 years ago, a good Negroni (my favorite aperitivo drink) was the way the party would begin.