Avanvera

Avanvera is one of the cocktails that originated during the futurism movement in Italy. It combines sweet vermouth, Strega liqueur, and grappa. To make the cocktail, all the ingredients are added to a rocks glass filled with ice, and the combination is then mixed with a bar spoon.

Banana slices are added as a garnish. The cocktail was an invention of Cinzio Barosi, and it was featured in La cucina futurista. It was suggested that the cocktail should be served on a silver platter, accompanied by different snacks, such as almonds, bananas, and roasted coffee beans, which stood as a symbol of Italian colonies, along with and tomatoes, anchovies, and Parmigiano—which represented local Italian produce. The name of the cocktail stems from the Italian term vanvera, which roughly translates as nonsense.