The Bicicletta: Italy's Lesser-Known Gem Perfect for British Summers
TL;DR
- The Bicicletta is a simple Italian wine cocktail built around bitterness, freshness and easy summer drinking.
- For a UK garden or pub-style aperitivo, it is a lighter alternative to richer spritzes and spirit-heavy classics.
- Dry Italian white wine, Campari-style bitterness and citrus lift make it especially useful before seafood, antipasti or salty snacks.
Fast-Track to Refreshment: Your Quick Bicicletta Recipe Guide
If you're here to dive straight into the art of mixing a classic Bicicletta, you're in the right place. Known for its simplicity and full-bodied flavour, this cocktail requires just a few ingredients. Below, you'll find everything you need to craft your own Bicicletta.
Ingredients:
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2 oz (60 ml or 6 parts) Italian white wine (such as Soave or Verdicchio) -
1 oz (30 ml or 3 parts) Campari -
Soda water, to top -
Ice cubes -
Orange slice for garnish
Instructions:
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1
Fill a GlassBegin by filling a wine glass or a tumbler with ice cubes.
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2
Pour the WineAdd 60 ml (or 6 parts) of your selected Italian white wine into the glass.
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3
Add CampariFollow this by pouring in 30 ml (or 3 parts) of Campari.
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4
StirUse a spoon to gently stir the wine and Campari together.
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5
Top with SodaComplete the cocktail by topping up the glass with soda water for some bubbly zest.
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6
GarnishAdd a finishing touch with a slice of lemon or orange for garnish.
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7
Stir and EnjoyGive it one last gentle stir, and your Bicicletta is ready for your enjoyment!
To make your choice easier, we've curated a selection of Italian white wines that not only enhance the Bicicletta's intrinsic flavours but also stand as exquisite choices in their own right. Scroll down to explore these meticulously chosen bottles that promise to elevate your next Bicicletta experience.
Costa d'Amalfi Furore Fiorduva 2022
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Pinot Grigio Rose' Venezie Vigna Mescita IGT 2025
Casa Vinicola Sartori's blush Pinot Grigio from delle Venezie: brief skin contact gives a pale-copper, rose-petal colour, with orange citrus, peach and a slice of strawberry. Dry, light and crisp at 12%, screwcapped for easy everyday pours.
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Pinot Grigio 2025
Via Nova Pinot Grigio is an easy, dry white from the delle Venezie, sourced by Sergio de Luca around Verona and Venice. Lemon and green apple lead on a light 11% frame with crisp acidity. A dependable aperitivo and shellfish white at around £9.
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Corte Medicea Atos 2021
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Querciabella Chianti Classico 2022
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Ferrari Maximum Rose
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Fattoria Rodano Chianti Classico 2024
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L'Archetipo Rosato Di Primitivo Salento 2025
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Le Macchiole Scrio 2022
Le Macchiole's Scrio is a 100% Syrah from Bolgheri, first made in 1994 and named for the Tuscan word for pure and whole. Grown on the Vignone and Casavecchia vineyards, it is dense, peppery and balsamic, built to cellar a decade or more.
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Villa Matilde Cecubo 2015
View WineThe Rural Origin
Contrary to popular belief, the Bicicletta wasn't conceived in a posh Milanese bar or a Venetian canalside café. The birthplace of this unassuming cocktail is much humbler, often traced back to rural Italy. It gained prominence as a post-work refreshment among farmers and day labourers, perhaps explaining its straightforward ingredient list.
The name "Bicicletta" adds another layer of allure to the cocktail. In Italy, where cycling is not just a sport but a way of life, the drink pays homage to a beloved pastime. The legend goes that after consuming a glass or two, even the most exhausted farmers felt rejuvenated enough to pedal their bicycles back home as if they were competing in the Giro d'Italia! It's an amusing anecdote, but it also speaks volumes about the Italian philosophy of finding joy and revival in simple pleasures.
While we may never know who mixed the first Bicicletta, the cocktail's rise in popularity could very well be attributed to Campari, the aperitif that adds the cocktail's characteristic bitterness. With Campari’s marketing efforts throughout the 20th century, the Bicicletta started to be seen not just as a rural delight but as a stylish, yet casual, Italian cocktail.
In recent years, the Bicicletta has crossed Italian borders, travelling as far as the trendy bars of Tokyo and the historic pubs of London. What originally began as a local staple has evolved into a drink with international charm, proving that sometimes the most unpretentious creations are the ones that capture hearts around the globe.
Whether it's the nostalgia invoked by the name, the charm of its rustic roots, or the allure of its straightforward character, the Bicicletta is a drink steeped in tales as rich as the Italian soil from which it emerged. It serves as a delectable reminder that sometimes the most meaningful stories are found in the most unexpected places.
Balancing Heritage and Taste
For aficionados of the Bicicletta, the choice of white wine plays a pivotal role in capturing the drink's essence. Opt for an Italian white with high acidity and nuanced floral notes, such as a Soave or a Verdicchio. These wines not only uphold the cocktail's Italian heritage but also complement Campari's bitter complexity, enhancing the overall drinking experience.
On the British front, the Bicicletta's straightforward charm and revitalizing palate draw a delightful parallel to the UK's staple summer refreshment, Pimm's. Much like Pimm's becomes the drink of choice for Wimbledon or garden parties, the Bicicletta offers Brits a chic alternative with an Italian twist, seamlessly blending the casual elegance of Italian culture into the diverse tapestry of British drinking traditions.
