“Sometime around sunset,” my Italian teacher told me when I first asked him years ago what time people fare l’aperitivo (‘do the aperitivo’) here. Aperitivo in Italy is a must. It is a way of life, built into Italian culture and into the day, so when I’m here, I build it into mine.
Over the years I’ve come to know that the reality is that Italians “do the aperitivo” just about any time of day after 10:30 am. But as Luca told me, I prefer to find my Campari Spritz just before sunset.