Can you recommend a good Italian drink

If you try a Spritz, you may be happier with an Aperol based one rather than one with Compari. The Aperol is the sweeter of the two.

I always order the 'house red' with dinner.

Aperol Spritz for sure! So yummy!! I don;t like wine either but I love this!

We too are not drinkers. But if you're going to go for one of Tuscany's incredible steaks, pair it with with Brunello di Montalcino. It's simply the best of the best red wine there is. Montalcino is a town south of Florence, and it's a great place to take a winery tour.

In Venice, you're on your own as far as drinks go. Just be careful to make sure that the restaurant is not charging you a "sit down fee"--a rip off.

A spritz is a wonderful drink but it usually not something you drink with a meal. For many, it is drunk as an apertivo.....a late afternoon cocktail. It is usually served with some type of "nibbles" that vary from place to place.

For steak or pasta, red wine is really the best. But....if you don't drink wine.......I'd honestly stick with water. The sweetness of something like a spritz will take away from the flavor of the steak and the pasta.

Lunch in Venice might include seafood. That would pair best with a white wine.

Venice is the home of the Bellini: fresh white peach juice with a spritz of Prosecco. Mmmm.

I discovered limoncello in Italy and keep it in my frig all the time now, unless I run out and have to rush to the store for more. ;-) But it's best (for me) as an after-dinner drink. An Aperol spritz is, as someone else suggested, a good pre-meal cocktail. The Bellini and Negroni are also popular though I don't care for them. Other posters are right, any of these would interfere with the tastes of a good dinner, wine or beer would be the right alcohol choice with a meal. Or try sparkling water (I like San Pellegrino).

Nothing better than a magnificent view of the Grand Canal in Venice and sipping a delicious Aperol Spritz. Friend’s recommended Bar Foscarini. It was a wonderful introduction to Venice. https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Restaurant_Review-g187870-d2097469-Reviews-Bar_Foscarini-Venice_Veneto.html

good advice above, I'd just add that while you're getting settled and looking over the menu the server might typically offer a glass of prosecco to get you started, which comes from the Veneto region usually, and another sweet/fruity after dinner option in addition to limoncello would be a moscato.

If you want to be in the front of the pack (the avant garde) then ask for a quinquina made locally.

The other posts cover the classic cocktails of Venice; Bellini and Aperol Spritz as well as Prosecco. If you are having a meat dish in Venice, I would recommend you try Amarone. It is a dry Italian red wine from the Veneto region. It is made from dried grapes and has the aroma of fruit jam, cinnamon, chocolate, and spice.

For Florence, if you have having the Florentine steak, then the house wine, typically a Chianti given the region, is my choice. If you prefer sweeter wines, I would recommend the vin santo with cantucci (similar to biscotti, but made with almonds or hazelnuts. One of my best memories of Florence is on a food tour in which we had cantucci and vin santo on the steps outside a local church.

For Rome, you have so many options depending upon the type of pasta you have, but typically a red goes well. My favorite pasta in Rome is Cacio e Pepe which can pair with a lighter white like Pinot Grigio or a heartier red like a Chianti.

Enjoy your trip.

Spritz with Aperol or Campari or Crodino. Although that is super easy to make at home. No need to go to Italy for that. You can find Aperol at Costco, Trader Joe’s, and many other stores.
Sgroppino is another after dinner drink/dessert (lemon sorbet+Prosecco+vodka)

Limoncello!!!

Nothing better on a hot day along the Amalfi Coast (or anywhere near it).

Don't remember that Italy has even a lot of soft drinks (based mainly on fruit juice) that you can try. Cedrata, chinotto, orzata among the others.
As alcoholics, we produce a lot of strong and sweet spirts, used mainly as a digestive: limoncello (lemon), nocino (green walnuts), brugnolino (wild plums), melonicno (cantalope) and so on. Are strong, usually around 30°, but sweet ;-) Maybe in Venice you can try something local and traditional: grappa.

I absolutely love the Aperol Spritz. I mix equal parts (750ml) Aperol and sparkling white wine. I cut up fruit (lemons, limes, apples, oranges) and put in the pitcher with 4 ounces of orange juice and 1 ounce of Everclear. Once you mix this up try it out and, if it's too sweet add a little club soda. If it's not sweet enough add a little more orange juice. I was introduced to this drink at the San Miguel Market in Madrid but have since sought it out everywhere I travel. My other Italian drink of choice is espresso but that wasn't interesting enough to go on and on about.

You've gotten really good suggestions so far. I'm going to add one I think you should try. For dessert, try Cantucci and Vin Santo.

Cantucci is what we Americans call biscotti, but biscotti just means "cookie" in Italy. Vin Santo is a wonderful, sweet dessert wine. Together they make a heavenly end to a good meal.

@Dougmac- I agree Cantucci dipped into Vin Santo is divine. We were introduced to this on a culinary tour of Tuscany. I recall that one of our tour members referred to Vin Santo as “mothers milk!” Lol.

Try the Hugo spritz: it's made with edelberry flowers syrup, Prosecco and fresh mint.
It's a refreshing spritz-like drink very popular in Northern Italy, especially in summer.
If you are in Venice, you can also try spritz with Select that is a venetian liqueur (it's very hard to find it outside the veneto) like aperol but more bitter and with an herbal taste.

OP, if you are not a drinker then anything you try will be foreign to you and you will either like it or not. Simply try the house wine, red or white. You will find the taste to be to your liking or not, but will have no history behind you to influence it.
Of course, if in Italy you should try an apperol spritzer. They are all over, every afternoon. Otherwise it would be like going to Rome and not seeing the Colosseum.

I second the Spritz Hugo.
You may not find it south of Venice as it is a Northern drink.
Elderflowers are grown in the north.
It's SO much nicer than a Spritz Aperol, though I do love those too.
Both are sweetish.

If you don't like wine, don't drink wine.

If you don't like wine, don't drink wine.

Often folks who say they don't like wine have tasted wine meant to be enjoyed with food. We were at a food and wine tasting in Sonoma California and made friends with a couple from Ohio who were seated next to us. They brought out a red wine and our new friend tasted it and said she didn't like it. Deb told her to reserve judgment until they served the food they chose to pair with it. Once she tasted the wine in context, she loved it!

Often folks who say they don't like wine have tasted wine meant to be enjoyed with food. We were at a food and wine tasting in Sonoma California and made friends with a couple from Ohio who were seated next to us. They brought out a red wine and our new friend tasted it and said she didn't like it. Deb told her to reserve judgment until they served the food they chose to pair with it. Once she tasted the wine in context, she loved it!

I believe it!

My husband doesn't like wine, with or without food. He's half-heartedly tried to like it over the years to no avail. I often quote that George Costanza bit at him where he keeps trying to like pesto...

As others have mentioned, Peach Bellini and Aperol Spritz in Venice. I liked the Aperol spritz so much I started making them here at home!
A non-alcoholic option I discovered in Italy was called ‘lemon soda’. It was kind of like carbonated lemonade, and came in a single-serve black can with a picture of yellow lemons on it, I think. Available in lots of shops and cafes etc. I found it very refreshing in the heat, and I liked that it wasn’t as sugary sweet as the lemon-lime sodas we have here in the US (such as Sprite or 7 up). Tried to find it in the US, but no luck:(

I tried an aperol spritz in Italy last year and it’s not for me! There are other great options like Bellini or a Hugo. Also depending on where you are, they might have other fun drinks - i had Frose at a cool bar in Chambery, France.

A non-alcoholic option I discovered in Italy was called ‘lemon soda’. It was kind of like carbonated lemonade, and came in a single-serve black can with a picture of yellow lemons on it, I think. Available in lots of shops and cafes etc. I found it very refreshing in the heat, and I liked that it wasn’t as sugary sweet as the lemon-lime sodas we have here in the US (such as Sprite or 7 up). Tried to find it in the US, but no luck:(

This?
https://www.amazon.com/Lemon-Soda-Drink-Packages-Italian/dp/B00ZCXW9LS

https://www.amazon.com/Fonti-Limonata-Italian-Sparkling-Lemonade/dp/B08GSVHXCL/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Lemon+Soda&qid=1648498286&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOEVLWFNXUkExQ0RJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTMwMDkzTERXMU9aOU1XT04zJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3MDI4MjVKSURXMko4UjlUR0Ymd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Our drinking habits are similar to yours and you can be assured that servers pretty much anywhere will be gracious and receptive to your requests. Sometimes I order by color as I watch them pass by, and if they find it amusing it’s OK because I do too. Have fun. We discovered. the Aperol Spritz in Padua and the Pimm’s Cup at the Chelsea Flower Show. Both summery and not heavy on the alcohol I think. The Hugo sounds good and thanks for that. Safe travels.

Thanks, roubrat, for the lemon soda link! I think that's the same stuff-I may have to order it and find out:)
And free Prime shipping!! Who knew!!??

Aperol Spritz for sure!

Thanks, roubrat, for the lemon soda link! I think that's the same stuff-I may have to order it and find out:)
And free Prime shipping!! Who knew!!??

Enjoy!

As others have mentioned the Prosecco based Spritz is the favorite (Aperol only- the Campari is really bitter) in Italy. I am not a drinker at home so I never know what to order either. You can do what I do and just ask what the favorite drink is at the restaurant and get that, it's a great way to try something new. I am also allergic to red wine unless it it organic which I can find in Italy pretty easily.

When the Covid lockdown started I began drinking an Aperol spritz every afternoon. In Israel I can't get prosecco, but Spanish cava is just as good. I always put in 2 orange slices. I've been in Italy for a week and a half. In Venice, drink Aperol spritz - it was invented there. I've had a few in Tuscany/Umbria as well - where I am here. One in Florence was awful, I don't know why. In Venice they were served without straws - Venice has become very eco-conscious, sadly not so in other places. In Florence they came with an olive as well. In Spoletto, I had one in front of the Duomo that was picture-pretty - red/white candy cane striped paper straw, a big strawberry slit down the middle to hang on the rim of the glass next to a sprig of rosemary clipped to the glass with a tiny mauve clothes pin.

I really enjoy a spritz in the afternoon before lunch but in some restaurants in Tuscany/Umbria they absolutely do not serve them. They will have a nicely stocked bar but no Aperol.

In Venice the best lunch is cichetti. The trick is to find the best places.

Chani try a spritz made with Select vs Aperol or Campari. I took a food tour with a local couple in Venice a couple years back and they recommended this type. Its not as sweet as the aperol nor as bitter as compari. Saluti

I have to say that the best Aperol Spritz I had wasn’t in Venice. It was in Budapest! (Café Vian).

https://www.aperol.com/#title-video
Aperol Spritz | Perfect Serve in 3,2,1! Video: https://youtu.be/M3H56lE0mfg

I second the Bellini! You can get them in peach (traditional) and strawberry in season and they are amazing when made well. They make a good stand-alone drink or a drink to start your meal. Honestly, with your tastes, I would have a pre-dinner Bellini and a dessert lemon cello, and a nice bottle of water with the meal. These sweeter drinks are delicious, but not food friendly. And maybe try a glass of local wine with the meal on occasion - just in case you are surprised and enjoy it.

Thanks to everyone who responded can’t wait to give these drinks a try

I like a Negroni, but won't recommend it to people who tend to not be cocktail drinkers. It's delicious AND strong since its all alcohol.

Since you like sweet, I would try an Aperol spritz or even sweeter, a spritz with lemoncello and prosecco. Bellinis are delicious.

I also like Vin Santo with biscotti.

I was doing some more thinking. House wine is cheap in Italy, and typically fairly good. Perhaps try a glass of a red with a steak between the two of you and whatever red or white house wine is appropriate in Rome with your pasta. Wait staff in Italy seemed to be quite knowledgeable about food/wine pairing. You could ask for a suggestion.

After dinner try Averna Amaro...a digestif. To me it has a bit of chocolate in the flavor.