Aperol Spritz Recipe
Did y’all catch last week’s Aperol Spritz drama? The New York Times boldly declared the refreshing, fizzy cocktail “not a good drink”. I’m sorry but WRONG. 🙅🏻 Sure… the Aperol Spritz may have reached #roséallday levels of popularity (it’s even garnered a hashtag of its own: #spritzlife) thanks to a brilliant marketing campaign by Campari. And I’m sure the amount the orange drink shows up on Instagram feeds is a turn off for the too-cool, nose-in-the-air crowd among us (🙄) who shun anything they deem as too mainstream. As for me, I guess I’m just basic.
Basic and PROUD. 💃🏻
In fact, today I’d like to boldly declare the Aperol Spritz my all time favorite alcoholic beverage. What’s not to love? It’s effervescent, not too boozy, is served over ice (it’s hot here in Texas), has the perfect bitter/sweet ratio, and - perhaps most importantly - reminds me of Italy. 🇮🇹 I first came across the cocktail while traveling there a couple summers ago, and it’s been my staple ever since. It’s easy, refreshing, exceedingly drinkable, and delicious. Fortunately, it seems the internet agrees with me.
Before we jump in here I’d like to start by saying that me posting an Aperol Spritz recipe is right up there with Ramona Singer showing us all how to make a vodka soda. 😂 I didn’t invent this drink, okay? We have the Italians to thank for that. I’m just here as a disciple sharing the good news with all of you fine folks. If you’ve never tried it, then you MUST. Just be sure to make it properly. That’s where my recipe comes in.
The ingredients. 👆🏻 You’ll need Aperol, a good Italian prosecco (nothing too expensive, but nothing crummy either), sparkling water of your choice (I went with San Pellegrino here, but I also use Topo Chico), and an orange.
Start by pouring 3 parts prosecco into a large wine glass filled with ice.
Next, pour 2 parts Aperol into the glass.
Then, add 1 part soda water.
Finally, add a wedge of orange to garnish and stir to combine ingredients.
Now, dream of Italy….
… and enjoy.
Ingredients:
Aperol
Prosecco (Italian sparking wine)
Sparkling water of your choice (San Pellegrino works well)
An orange
Instructions:
Fill a large wine glass with ice
3 parts Prosseco
2 parts Aperol
1 part sparking water
Add sliced orange for garnish (I like to squeeze a wedge of orange directly into the drink, but this isn’t necessary.)
Stir
Dream of Italy and enjoy
A few things to note…
Feel free to play around with the prosecco to Aperol to sparkling water ratio. This is art, not science. Aperol is bitter, so if you aren’t used to it you may prefer a spritz with less of it.
If you prefer a sweeter drink, you could substitute the sparkling water for blood orange soda. This isn’t traditional, but it’s your drink DARNIT, so make what you like!
Don’t forget to stir. The drink should look orange throughout and should not have dark orange Aperol sitting on the bottom of the glass with prosecco floating on top. This is very important! Without a quick stir, the drink isn’t made properly.
Saluti!
PRODUCT LINKS