Aperol Spritz Cocktail (Spritz Veneziano)

About this Aperol Spritz Italian Cocktail Recipe

A few years ago I went to Italy to cook for a Yoga retreat.

The yoga instructor who organized the whole thing kept ordering glasses of Aperol Spritz on the nights when we ventured out from our Tuscan Villa for afternoon drinks. (I know. Tough gig.) It was the first time I'd heard of the cocktail and right away I was smitten.

Here's what's awesome about the Aperol Spritz:

• It's DELICIOUS.
• The combination of bubbly with a touch of bitter is super light and refreshing.
• It's a low alcohol cocktail, so you can happily sip away on a nice big glass without overdoing it.
• It's perfectly acceptable - even encouraged - to drink this cocktail through a fun paper straw.
• Have the opportunity for some summer day drinking? This is what you want in your glass.

Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Recipe

Making an Aperol Spritz requires just 4 ingredients:

1. Prosecco, well chilled. Use any kind of prosecco you like. My personal favorite is La Marca.
2. Aperol. Or, you can also use Campari. One note of caution: Campari is more bitter than Aperol, so you might want to use a bit less.
3. Sparkling water. Plain, unsweetened, and unflavored.
4. A couple of fresh orange slices OR candied orange slices.

How to Make an Aperol Spritz

This cocktail is as easy to make as it is to drink. Making this cocktail is a 3 step process that takes about 2 minutes, including the time it takes to open a bottle of prosecco:

1. Fill a glass with ice
2. Pour in about 4 ounces of Prosecco followed by 2 ounces of aperol.
3. Top it with as much sparkling water as you like and toss in a couple of orange slices

Variations and Adaptions on this Classic Cocktail

Want to make yours less bitter? Simply add less Aperol and more Prosecco.

Want a stronger orange flavor? Add some orange juice!

Want to make an Aperol Spritz with an even lower alcohol content? If you follow the exact amounts in this recipe, your Aperol Spritz will contain about 11% alcohol by volume.

If you want to lower the alcohol content even more, here are 4 delicious options:

1. Reduce the amount of Aperol and Prosecco and increase the amount of sparkling water.
2. For a low-alcohol but less watered down version of option #1, add a bit of orange juice.
3. Or, replace the Prosecco entirely with sparkling orangeade or lemonade, like San Pellegrino.
4. Replace the Aperol with either of these non-alcoholic bitter drinks: Crodino or Sanbitter Bitter Red.

The Aperol Spritz makes a great camping recipe! This cocktail requires just a few ingredients, can easily be adapted to serve drinkers and non-drinkers of all ages, and is happily sipped from a plastic cup. Looking for more camping cocktail recipes? Here's a list of 21 Cocktails for Camping.

What Are the Best Foods to Pair with Aperol Spritz?

The Aperol Spritz is often served as an apéritif. An apéritif is a cocktail or liquor served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Apéritifs are typically low alcohol and on the dry side (not very sweet).

So, serving Aperol Spritzes with appetizers is a fantastic way to begin a meal. Because the Aperol Spritz is on the bitter side, I like to serve foods that will balance bitter flavors - salty, creamy, and slightly sweet flavors.

Also, maybe it's because I first experienced this cocktail in Italy, but I think it pairs particularly well with foods close to its geographical origins - so foods with an Italian or Mediterranean flavor. Here are a few ideas:

• A charcuterie board loaded with your favorite cured meats, cheeses, olives, bread and crackers, and fruit preserves such as Peach Preserves or Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
• Any kind of seasonal fresh fruit, especially berries and citrus fruit, and roasted, salted nuts
• Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers and a loaf of really good crusty bread. Maybe also with some goat cheese or a really good parmesan.
• A light, refreshing salad, like Israeli Salad. Honestly, one of my favorite summer weekend lunches is Israeli Salad, crusty bread, and an Aperol Spritz. Served outside, of course.

Aperol Spritz FAQs

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