Cocktails
Aperol Spritz (how to make a standby Aperol spritz!)
Refreshing and light, an Aperol spritz is a brilliantly colored sparkling cocktail. Festive and straightforward to mix!
At a glance
What stands out: Refreshing and light, an Aperol spritz is a festive, straightforward-to-make cocktail, with only 3 ingredients.
How long it takes: 3 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: none
Servings: 2 (and it’s straightforward to mix more!)
A Classic Italian Cocktail
When we visited Italy, we found that a “spritz” was popular and often served as an apéritif or a before-dinner drink. It’s a refreshing light sipper, reliable for a warm summer evening. It’s become popular on our deck this summer.
How it comes together
3-2-1! That’s all you have to remember. Each drink consists of three parts, two parts, one part. Making two drinks? Just start multiplying the parts by two. Making three drinks? Multiply by three. Making a pitcher? Multiply by however many servings you can fit inside your pitcher.
What’s a standby kind of glass for an Aperol spritz? Serve this cocktail in large stemmed glasses to beautifully display the vibrant orange hue which is intensified with fresh orange slices. A stemless wineglass is lovely, too.
Add ingredients. Pour the three ingredients over rocks in the order given, 3-2-1, for a beautiful sparkling cocktail. Don’t shake or stir it because you’ll lose the bubbles. So straightforward and so good! The complete printable recipe is on the recipe card at the end of the post.
What is Aperol?
Aperol was created as an apéritif type of drink, something you sip on before dinner to stimulate your appetite. Two brothers in Italy worked together seven years before introducing the drink in 1919. The recipe remains a secret but reportedly it contains bitter oranges, rhubarb, herbs, and spices. In contrast to Campari, a bitter red apéritif also from Italy, Aperol has half the alcohol content, only 11%, making it a lighter choice.
What goes in
- Prosecco (3 parts) – Prosecco is a sparkling Italian wine. A dry prosecco (less residual sugar) will make a spritz that will taste less sweet. Chose a prosecco (or sparkling wine) that you would normally drink, but you don’t necessarily have to choose the most expensive brand. You could also use French champagne or Spanish cava.
- Aperol (2 parts) – Aperol is an orange-colored Italian bitter apéritif.
- Soda (1 part) – Club soda, seltzer, or sparkling water will all work. Use Sprite instead of soda for a sweeter flavor. Use diet soda or Sprite to cut calories, if desired.
- Orange slices – These are technically an optional garnish but we love the way they look and the taste they add.
- Ice – This cocktail is served on the rocks, so make sure you have plenty of ice made.
Ways to serve it
Looking for a nibbler to serve with your spritz? How about straightforward tomato bruschetta, or a fresh tomato tart with herbed ricotta? Rosemary roasted almonds or sweet and spicy candied bourbon pecans are always a hit, too. Everyone loves fresh bread with olive oil dipping sauce (and it’s so straightforward to mix!).
Make-Ahead Ideas
Cut orange slices for the garnish and make sure you have plenty of fresh ice on hand. This cocktail takes about three minutes to make. If you make it ahead, it will go flat.
- Yield: 2
- Prep: 3 minutes
- Total: 3 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 ounces prosecco
- 4 ounces Aperol
- 2 ounces soda (sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer)
- ice cubes
- orange slices for garnish
Method
- Fill both glasses with ice cubes.
- Add 3 ounces of prosecco to each glass (around half full).
- Add 2 ounces of Aperol to each glass and top with soda (about 1 ounce).
- Garnish with orange slices and serve immediately.
Notes
Pro tip: Pouring the prosecco first gives the cocktail a nice bold orange. Don’t stir the cocktail because it will reduce the carbonation (fizziness).
Make more cocktails: The recipe can be easily increased. Just keep the ratio of 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, and 1 part soda.
For a sweeter cocktail: Use Sprite (or diet Sprite) instead of club soda.
