alcohol in Italy

Yes, of course. But you might try getting outside your comfort zone. One of the reasons for travel.

You can buy hard liquor in grocery stores in Italy, which you can't do in NH or Massachusetts! Since you like a bit of bitter, try a Campari soda when you want something lighter. There are also delicious bitter orange drinks in Italy. you'll also see cafe patrons drinking a bright orange drink made with Aperol ( help me out here RS readers)whose name I forget. Here's a nice site to help you, http://www.yourguidetoitaly.com/italian-drinks-liquors.html but take care, you want to remember this trip perhaps.

You can buy any kind of alcohol anywhere, bars or grocery stores. It works exactly like in California, unlike many other States in the US where you have to buy at a State store, just like in the Soviet Union. The drinking age and drinking laws in a public place are however different from Californias. The drinking age is 16 y.o. and anybody can drink in a public space as long as you are not obviously drunk, therefore no reason to hide your drink in a brown paper bag while you walk. Being drunk in a public place is not permitted however, you would be in violation of art. 688 of the Italian Penal Code: "Anyone who, in a public place or a place open to the public, is found in a state of manifest drunkenness is punishable with an administrative pecuniary fine from 50 Euro to 309 Euro. The punishment is imprisonment from 3 to 6 months if the fact is committed by a person already convicted for involuntary manslaughter or injury.
The punishment is increased in case of habitual drunkenness"

Patricia, one thing you will find is that hard alcohol drinks in restaurants/cafes are usually more expensive then wine , sometimes a lot more expensive.

Mike,
Aperol Spritz is what you mean. Made with Prosecco sparkilng wine, a splash of sparkling water, slice of orange and then the Aperol to meld in with the rest. We got hooked on them in Varenna and had MANY in Venice as well. I finally got my local liquor store to bring it in here so I can make them at home and dream about being back at the Varenna Cafe looking out over Lake Como.

Have a "sgroppino" also. Sgroppino is made with: lemon sorbet, prosecco, lemon vodka. Perfect for a hot day.

Paticia, if you want to try an Aperol Spritz before you leave, Mionetto, the pro secco company sells them by the bottle. I drink vodka at home and love this drink when in Italy. However, the red wine and prosecco in Italy are so good that I don't usually even miss my martini.

oh, and if you buy the Mionetto, don't forget the sliced orange.....