As you may know, we went to Italy on our honeymoon this September. That is where I discovered one of my favorite cocktails – the Aperol Spritz. It is a little tangy, bubbly, and extremely refreshing. Aperol is a bright orange Italian aperetif. It is made with orange, rhubarb, gentiana (a blue flowering plant) and other herbs that Aperol claims are secrets.
My spritz revelation occurred in Lake Como, a simply magical and jaw-dropping destination. We arrived in the early evening, around 4 or 5pm. Everyone was sitting outside drinking these orange cocktails in wine glasses. I consider myself a cocktail connoisseur (hence the name of this blog), and it busted my ego to think I had not seen this classy glass of orangey-goodness before.
We sat down to dinner in the town of Varenna (One of George Clooney’s favorite towns, btw) and I asked the waitress what was that orange drink everyone was having? She smiled and replied “that is an Aperol Spritz!” and I smiled back – “I’ll have one of those, please.”
From then on, it was my chosen aperetivo after long days of walking and touring. And as soon as I came back to the states, I started making them at home.
The traditional recipe an easy 3-2-1 ratio. The spritz is 3 parts prosecco (or sparking wine or champagne) 2 parts Aperol, and 1 splash of sparkling water. It is THAT easy. I’ll show you exactly how I make mine.
The Aperol Spritz – Glass of Glam Style
What you need:
- Sparkling wine, Champagne, or Prosecco
- Aperol
- sparkling water
- Ice
- A wine glass
- An orange
(Scroll over pictures for the steps)
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- 1. Add ice to your desired glass. I like a wine glass because it is glam.
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- 2. Carefully open your bottle of champagne or sparkling wine. I like Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blanc Brut because it tastes expensive.
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- 3. Add 3 parts sparkling wine. I just pour and count to three.
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- 4. Add 2 parts Aperol. Again, I pour and count to two. Aperol is not very strong (only 11% alcohol) so don’t worry if you pour too much.
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- 5. Add a splash of sparkling water. I like to use La Croix coconut flavored water. It makes it a little more tropical.
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- 6. I like to add some orange for garnish, or actually in the drink.
Striped Tee (on sale for $10); Old Madewell Corduroys; H&M Druzy Pendant similar; Milani Lipstick in Sweet Nectar
And there you have it! Super easy. Drink with a straw if you are a diva like me and don’t want to mess up your lipstick.
If you don’t have champagne or sparkling wine, use white wine and a little more of the sparkling water, so it is still a “spritz.” That works too.
Cheers to the least intimidating, but most delicious cocktail!
–Roxanne
Oh my heavens. This looks so fancy & tasty. Gotta drink with a straw; diva style. :]
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You know it!
Don’t forget to apply your curly rubber grape-shaped charm to the stem of your glass!
Oh yeah I need one of those!
Looks Deelish, may even be healthy with the natural ingredients in the Aperol. Can’t wait to try it! The french version is wine with Kir or Creme de Casis ( blackcurrant syprup)
Ohh yes I also heard of a version using Campari – it is red instead of orange!