Spritz

Spritz Veneziano · Aperitivo Spritz

A light, bubbly Italian aperitif built over ice, with bitter orange notes, dry Prosecco and a splash of soda.

8.3% ABV
Built in the glass
2 min
Wine glass
bitter
citrusy
refreshing
bubbly
IBA official cocktail · New Era Drinks

about 0.9 standard drinks (US, 14 g of alcohol). Estimated after dilution with ice.

Ingredients

3 ozProseccoChoose a dry style (brut) to balance the sweetness of the aperitif.
2 ozLight bitter orange aperitif
1 ozSoda waterMeasure 30 ml and add it last to keep the drink lively.

Ice: Ice cubes · Garnish: orange

Method

Fill a large wine glass with ice cubes.
Pour in 90 ml of Prosecco first, then 60 ml of the bitter orange aperitif.
Add 30 ml of soda water.
Stir very gently, just once, to keep the bubbles.
Garnish with a slice of orange.

Tips

Use plenty of ice and well-chilled ingredients so the drink stays cold without diluting too fast.
The IBA ratio is 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts bitter aperitif and 1 part soda water: 90, 60 and 30 ml. Keep it if you scale the drink down.
For a more bitter, deeper-red version, replace the orange aperitif with a red bitter aperitif.

Swaps

Missing something? These swaps change the taste a little but keep the drink balanced.

Light bitter orange aperitif → Red bitter aperitif
Prosecco → Champagne

History

The spritz comes from northeastern Italy, where wine was reportedly lightened with a splash of water during the Austro-Hungarian period. The name is often linked to the German verb spritzen, "to spray". The version with a bitter orange aperitif and sparkling wine became popular later, and the IBA lists it among its New Era Drinks.