Venetian Spritz Recipe

Venetian Spritz recipe — The gondolier's liquid confidence — bitter, bubbly, and completely unavoidable in Venice. Made with Aperol. Originally from Italy.

I'm that effortlessly chic Italian who makes everything look easy while secretly judging your tourist outfit. I speak three languages fluently and will charm you with bitter truths wrapped in sparkling conversation. Warning: I make everything seem more romantic than it actually is.

The Venetian Spritz became so popular with Austrian soldiers during the 19th century Habsburg occupation that they literally created the 'spritz' by diluting local wines with soda water. The Austrians accidentally invented Venice's signature drink while trying to make Italian wine more like their beer.

Born in 1800s Venice when Austrian soldiers found local wines too strong and started adding soda water to 'spritzen' (splash) them down. Venetians perfected it by adding bitter liqueurs, creating the iconic orange glow that now dominates every canal-side bar.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Prosecco
• 2 oz Aperol
• 1 splash soda water
• 1 slice orange (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Fill wine glass with ice cubes.
2. Add Aperol first, then Prosecco.
3. Top with splash of soda water.
4. Garnish with orange slice and serve immediately.

Category: cocktail | Difficulty: easy | Base spirit: Aperol | ABV: 8.0-12.0%

Origin: Italy