Aperol Spritz

For those who think aperol spritzes are too sweet, try a lime garnish! The first aperol spritz I ever enjoyed was in Berlin, it used an ounce of aperol and a lime garnish and it was crisp and refreshing perfection.

I've made and drank many an Aperol Spritz. Skip the sparkling water. Add ice to the top of a large wine glass. Add prosecco which will bubble-up to the top but not entirely. Add the Aperol to good color. Adjust the Aperol/prosecco mix to taste, i.e. sweetness. Squeeze orange slices in.

Club soda just waters down the flavor. I just use more prosecco.

First generation Venetian American here. I have to agree with the one to one dry white wine to aperitivo plus two parts sparkling mineral water. In the 1970s and 80s when I was spending my summers in the Centro storico with my family, the bitter was usually Campari. The wine was definitely a house white . Prosecco was for weddings, engagements, new babies and new years. We call it a Spritz col bitter and the garnish was lemon or orange depending on what was available.

We enjoy it more with 2/2 ozs dry white wine/sparkling water rather than 3/1 Prosecco/Water

I make Aperol spritz with some sauv Blanc instead of prosecco when I'm just having a glass while making dinner, tastes great!

The non-alcohol Aperitivos make an exact-tasting substitute for Aperol (great for making a lower-alcohol Negroni too). The Prosecco also provides lower alcohol, Costco Moscatto D'Asti is 5%, half of regular white wine. I find *excellent* substitutes for NA Aperol-like products, Zero Proof Aperitivo (my favorite), or Wilderton Bittersweet Aperitivo (more herbal). These products are *not* like the minimal- or odd-tasting zero alcohol substitutes for gin, rum, whiskey.

I'm a purist: 3 parts Prosecco, 1 to 1.5 parts Aperol. The wine and water variety tastes flat and -- surprise -- too winey for me.

We were searching for a table at courtyard restaurant in Venice and I noticed many people were enjoying the same beverage. I asked a diner the name of her drink and thought she said, "It's an Adderall spritz." Hmmm. Later, a member of our tour group set me straight.

The first time I tried this was in 2012, on the island of Murano. We were having lunch at an outdoor restaurant and two men at a nearby table were drinking this orange colored drink. I asked them what the drink was called and they let me taste theirs (Europeans are not as concerned about germs as Americans). I immediately liked it. Incidentally, the two men were from Russia.

There is nothing like sitting in Aperol Terrazo in Milano on a 100 degree day enjoying an Aperol Sprit, or Compari Spritz , or Negroni. This recipe captures the relief of taking a touring break. One of these in the middle of the day, gave me a second wind to beat the heat!

I hate when this gets too watery so i leave out the soda knowing the ice will melt, especially if you sip slowly. The orange is so good at the end, I add a whole wedge.

My first Aperol spritzer had blood orange soda in addition to an orange garnish. I was hooked.

Another great Italian apertif is the Hugo. So easy to make and so delicious! It was a huge hit this summer when in Italy and hope to find more places serving it here in the US! The Hugo is an alcoholic aperitif, originating in South Tyrol, but widespread in Triveneto, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, based on prosecco, elderflower syrup, seltzer and mint leaves.