Get Nerdy with The Aperol Spritz

Get Nerdy With The Aperol Spritz

Ah the Aperol Spritz. Has any modern recipe gone from obscurity to the everyday in such a short period of time? Neither Aperol nor the Aperol Spritz were known outside Italy, except within the walls of top cocktail bars, until the 2010s. Then, over the course of a couple of summers, it became a household name.

The Aperol Spritz recipe is a combination of Aperol, Sparkling Water and Prosecco. Its secret to success is simple. Easy to make, vibrant in colour, visually appealing, refreshing, approachable but not trashy, uses everyday glassware and no specialist equipment. If you want to create a bestselling cocktail recipe, the formula is all there!

Here are our top tips for how to make the best Aperol Spritz you can, and a peak into the beautiful world of the Spritz.

Let’s Look At The Aperol Spritz Ingredients

01. Prosecco

The Prosecco Police will not come knocking on your door if you use a different Sparkling Wine here. Even outside Italy, Prosecco’s light and easy drinking style is a great choice for the Aperol Spritz, and the classic for this recipe of course. If you can’t get hold of Prosecco, use something light and dry to balance out the sweetness of the Aperol.

Although there’s no point spending a fortune on a high-end and delicate bottle of fizz here. Just remember that on the other end of the spectrum your Spritz will suffer and will not cover up a bottle of fizzy vinegar! A good rule of thumb, if you use something cheap and cheerful, make sure it’s good enough that you’d happily have a glass of it without mixing.

02. Aperol

As the name hints, Aperol is the classic choice for this recipe and of course works very nicely. As mentioned, until this cocktail’s meteoric rise in popularity, outside of Italy Aperol was only really found in fancy cocktail bars. Bartenders would use it in place of Campari in certain recipes, where a softer slightly less Bitter Aperitivo suited the recipe. 

Today, with the popularity of both the Aperol Spritz and the Negroni, the market for Bitter Aperitivos has suddenly exploded. Excitingly, both bars and stores carry any number of different brands for you to try, both very old and very new. Don’t be afraid to try something new! You can check out a few we recommend below.

03. Sparkling water

This recipe will handle something with a little minerality, but the most important element is carbonation. You want your Spritz to have bubbles, so pick one with high carbonation like Perrier or pack plenty of bubbles into your water if you’re making your own sparkling water. Top tip for this, is to use very cold water for carbonating. You can dissolve more CO2 into cold water which in turn means you will get a better fizz.

04. Oranges

Small or medium sized preferably. Large ones are too cumbersome for an elegant garnish and tend to be less juicy and flavoursome. 

05. Ice

Make sure to FILL your glass with ice to keep everything nice and cold. Ideally use large, cold and solid chunks or cubes of ice. Filling your glass with ice, and using solid pieces not only looks better, importantly the ice will stay frozen for longer, therefore not adding more unnecessary water to your drink. 

Beyond The Ingredients

Not only is the Aperol Spritz a delicious, simple to make recipe, that many people want to know how to make. It also kickstarted a love affair with the Spritz as a style of recipe. Before the Aperol Spritz’s rise to fame, to most people the word ‘Spritz’ or ‘Spritzer’ meant nothing more than white wine and sparkling water drunk by those looking to moderate or drink more responsibly. 

Today, most bars will have a number of different Spritz recipes on their list. The classic Aperol Spritz can be ordered in any bar that you’d be happy ordering a Gin & Tonic in. All in all, this simple Italian recipe has had a huge impact on drinking culture around the world.

Enjoy mixing the classic Aperol Spritz recipe as we’ve presented it here, or take that classic 3:2:1 ratio and run with it. To be clear, that’s 3 parts Prosecco (Sparkling Wine), 2 parts Bitter Aperitivo and 1 part Sparkling Water. Try different Bitter Aperitivos, or switch in vermouths or Punt-e-mes. Try different wines, maybe switch out the orange slices for olives or ribbons of cucumber. You don’t have to get too weird or experimental to create something delicious and unique.

If you come up with something new that you think works, share it with us, we love to hear about creativity. Maybe it’ll be next year’s sensation?!

As always, don’t forget to show us what you made by tagging us!
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