Going on the piss is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when I mention Venice?
There’s hardly any night life to speak of, the local people are rather conservative and the tourists who come here are way too preoccupied with their constant state of awe to consider a party.
So then why are the drinks in Venice so potent you risk ending up at the bottom of a canal if you have one too many? Forget the pub crawl – go on a bacaro dive! Those cute, little holes in the wall are designed to grab a quick snack and a glass of wine.
A piece of cheese and a glass of wine, what more could you possibly wish for?
One, two, three bacari later and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Respect the spritz, it’s a potent concoction of prosecco wine and campari or another bitter liqueur, topped with sparkling mineral water.
Spritz is by far the preferred aperitif in Venice
Then there is the infamous bellini, the cocktail invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, the owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice. It’s a tad overrated in my opinion. Compared to the down to earth spritz, it seems a bit pretentious to pay 16 euros for a drink at Harry’s where there are waiters everywhere and no atmosphere to relax.
Head down to one of my favourite bacari instead where Casanova is said to have been a regular in his heyday. “Cantina do Mori” is in the San Polo district just off the Rialto. Look for Calle do Mori, and a tiny, wooden cantina sign.
You can get bottled versions of the classical Bellini which originated in Venice
