Elevate any aperitivo hour or Apericena with a classic Aperol Spritz. This Italian cocktail is made with prosecco, Aperol (a bitter liqueur) and soda water (read below what secret ingredient we swap this out for!)This bubbly, and slightly bitter beverage is exactly what I want to be sipping on a warm summer day.
We paired this Aperol Spritz with a Bruschetta Dip for our new snack and drink series!
Why everyone is obsessed with an Aperol spritz:
I’m guilty as charged, I love an Aperol spritz and I always make them for parties! One sip and I’m transported to a quaint cafe in Italy on vacation with a slight buzz and not a care in the world.
What is an Aperol spritz? It’s a deliciously bubbly cocktail made with Aperol (a bitter liqueur with notes orange, rhubarb and vanilla), sparkling prosecco and a little soda
There are many reasons to love an aperol spritz:
- Easy to make! Theres no shaking or straining involved with an Aperol spritz. It’s a cocktail made in just one glass (my fav spritz glasses!) with three ingredients stirred together
- Great for a party: Truthfully, I’ve never met someone that didn’t like an Aperol Spritz. They’re great for serving at a party (I love setting up a DIY Aperol Spritz bar!). The drinks striking orange color and large orange wedge garnish looks impressive and leaves people wanting to linger in the sunshine
- Low-ABV Cocktail: The Aperol Spritz is about 11% ABV making it a great lighter beverage to enjoy before a meal.
- Tastes like summer: I’ve never had a drink that makes me instantly feel like I’m on vacation like the spritz does. Between its bright orange sunshine color, and it’s ice cold bubbly sips, one glass will leave you feeling like you’re anywhere but your kitchen
What is in an Aperol Spritz?
prosecco:
Prosecco is an Italian white white that is the base of an Aperol Spritz. It’s a light, fruity and sparkling wine that ranges from dry to sweet.
Aperol:
Aperol is a bitter orange liqueur with notes orange, rhubarb and vanilla. It’s made of a top secret blend of medicinal herbs and roots. The official recipe isn’t privy to the public, but I think we can all agree there is a solid amount of orange color and flavor weaved in.
soda water:
The traditional Aperol Spritz recipe calls for a bit of soda water topped off to finish the drink. It can help balance or dilute it if you want the flavor a little more mellow. I like to add this Italian Soda instead. It’s a secret ingredient that I think gives the beverage an extra kick of juiciness and gives it a beautiful pink tint.
How to make:
- Fill a wine glass with a few scoops of ice (I like slightly crushed ice)
- Add in Aperol, chilled prosecco and chilled soda water (or Italian soda) and stir together.
- Garnish with a large orange wedge
Aperol spritz recipe 3-2-1
Some people refer to the Aperol spritz recipe 3-2-1 method as the golden ratio for the drink. If you don’t have a jigger to measure the ingredients you can use this method. This is also great to use for batch drinks
Simply add:
- 3 parts of prosecco
- 2 parts Aperol
- 1 part soda
Best prosecco for Aperol spritz
The best prosecco for an Aperol Spritz is a Brut Prosecco which is dry and crisp, but still fruity in flavor.
Check out the two prosecco styles below and see which one fits your taste buds!
Dry prosecco:
Dry prosecco types consist of extra brut (very dry and lowest in sugar) and brut (dry, but still balanced and fruity).
sweet prosecco:
Sweeter prosecco types will be listed as extra dry (which is actually not very dry and slightly sweet) and Dry or Rosè (pink prosecco) which will be the sweetest varieties. If the Aperol Spritz feels like a very bitter drink and you like something sweeter, I suggest to try one of these.
If you’re a red wine kind of girl, I highly recommend trying the Lambrusco Spritz. It’s a spritz made with sweet, sparkling red wine called Lambrusco. You can read my guide about about Lambrusco wine here!
Non Alcoholic Aperol Spritz
A nonalcoholic Aperol spritz are becoming pretty main stream! There are some great N/A Aperol alternatives and alcohol free proseccos you can swap into your spritz.
This Lapos non alcoholic aperitivo is what I use for non alcoholic aperol spritz. It tastes pretty close in flavor and gives a great color to the drink.
I usually grab a bottle of Mionetto non-alcoholic sparkling wine for a N/A prosecco. It’s dry and balanced.
What to serve with an aperol spritz
- If I’m serving Aperol Spritz, one of my favorite appetizers to pair it with is this fresh tomato bruschetta dip.
- For a light summery pairing, you can serve them with a peach burrata salad.
- Proscuitto and melon skewers make for a classic Italian aperitivo hour combo
- You cant go wrong with an herby bread dipping oil
other spritz recipes to try!
A few summers ago we did a whole series called ‘summer of spritz‘ and came up with some deliciously tasty spritz’s to try!
- Passion Fruit Spritz – a reader favorite!
- Cherry spritz – if you love a Shirley temple, try this one!
- Hugo Spritz – made with floral elderflower liquer, also makes a great batch drink
- Frozen Aperol Spritz – a great warm weather beverage
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with
the Everyday Elizabeth community!
If you make this Aperol Spritz, be sure to tag me on pinterest and instagram
and leave a review below!
Aperol Spritz
ingredients
- 3 fl oz prosecco
- 2 fl oz Aperol
- 1 fl oz Italian Soda or Soda Water
- 1 orange wedge for garnish
instructions
- Fill a wine glass with 1-2 scoops of ice
- Add prosecco, Aperol and stir together gently. Pour in soda water and gently stir once more.
- Garnish with a large, fresh orange wedge.
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