This drink is sweet, bitter, citrusy and sparkling — even slightly salty — but with minimal punch. It is a graceful way to begin an evening, and a thing of perfection on a sultry afternoon. The spritz can be made several ways, but the best and most common is simply a glass of prosecco with two or three ice cubes and a dash of sparkling water, topped with Aperol, a twist of lemon or slice of orange and — importantly and strangely — one green olive. The drink also can be made with white wine and sparkling water, and Campari or Cynar turn up in some varieties, but the spritz a l’Aperol is the benchmark, and handily trumps the others.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces prosecco
- Sparkling water
- 1 ½ to 2 ounces Aperol
- Orange
- Lemon
- 1 green olive
Preparation
- In a rocks glass over three or four ice cubes, pour the prosecco, a dash of sparkling water and the Aperol, being sure to follow that order lest the Aperol sink to the bottom without mixing. Garnish with a slice of orange, a twist of lemon (or both) and an olive.
2 minutes
Dining and Cooking