Appetizing Aperol Spritz: A Pre-Dinner Cocktail

Published November 22, 2021
Appetizing Aperol Spritz

Ingredients

  • Ice
  • 2 ounces Aperol
  • 3 ounces prosecco
  • Club soda
  • Orange wedge for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a wine glass with ice, stir together the Aperol and prosecco.
  2. Top off with club soda. Drop in an orange wedge for garnish.

Variations

As a simple 3-ingredient drink, there are plenty of directions you could take the Aperol spritz.

  • Some people find 2 ounces of Aperol too bitter. You can dial this back a little by reducing Aperol to 1 ounce and increasing prosecco to 4 ounces.
  • Top off with a splash of ginger beer instead of club soda.
  • Replace the prosecco with fizzy moscato d'Asti for a sweeter cocktail.
  • Replace the Aperol with Campari for a slightly more bitter edge.

Garnish

A simple orange wedge or peel is the perfect, fresh garnish for this drink; drop it right in the glass for a pop of color and complementary flavor.

About the Aperol Spritz

Aperol is an Italian apéritif (aperitivo in Italian) made from gentian, rhubarb, and other ingredients. It has a light bitter edge with a hint of orange, although it is much milder than the comparable apéritif Campari. The vibrant orange hue makes the Aperol spritz look like a sunset in your glass.

Another name for the Aperol spritz is the spritz Veneziano. The drink is deliberately bitter, as it is an aperitivo, a pre-meal drink with bitter components meant to awaken your tastebuds. It has been growing in popularity in North America over the past few years, especially as a trendy summer sipper.

Enjoy a Spritz Veneziano

For some, the bitterness of the Aperol spritz is an acquired taste. Others take to it like a duck to water. This delicious drink is refreshing with interesting flavors that wake up your palate.

Appetizing Aperol Spritz: A Pre-Dinner Cocktail