Spritz Veneziano


A Spritz Veneziano or Aperol Spritz, also called just Spritz, is an Italian wine-based cocktail, commonly served as an aperitif in Northeast Italy. It consists of prosecco, Aperol and soda water.
The Aperol Spritz became widely popular outside of Italy around 2018 and was ranked as the world's 9th bestselling cocktail in 2019 by the website Drinks International.

History

Spritz was born during the period of the Habsburg domination in Veneto in the 1800s, under the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. The soldiers, but also the various merchants, diplomats and employees of the Habsburg Empire in Veneto became quickly accustomed to drinking local wine in the taverns, but they were not familiar with the wide variety of wines from the Veneto, and the alcohol content was higher than they were accustomed to. The newcomers started to ask the local hosts to spray a bit of water into the wine to make the wines lighter; the real original spritz was composed of sparkling white wine or red wine diluted with fresh water.
The Italian aperitif Aperol was created in Padua in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers. The original recipe has supposedly remained unchanged over time but it wasn't until the 1950s that Aperol Spritz became a popular alternative to the usual Venetian mix of white wine and soda.
In 2003 the Aperol brand was acquired by Campari Group. The Group positioned Aperol Spritz as "the perfect drink for social occasions", increasing sales to four times the pre-acquisition levels.
A ready-to-enjoy-drink version of the Aperol Spritz was launched by the company in 2011, which contained just 8% of alcohol. This was intended to give consumers a chance to enjoy the drink at home with minimal effort, by simply adding ice and an orange slice.
On June 29th 2012, Aperol Spritz ventured for a Guinness World Record as the "Largest Aperol Spritz Toast". More than 2,600 people descended onto Piazza San Marco in Venice and successfully secured the title. On April 16th 2019, the celebration of the Aperol centenary was announced at a press conference in Padua.
In 2019, Rebekah Peppler wrote a controversial New York Times piece, "The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink", criticizing the use of low-quality prosecco, the sugary taste of aperol, and dilution from ice in comparing it to a Capri Sun. This sparked an outcry, including a "Rally for Aperol" in Brooklyn.
Over the years the drink has "grown up" with the infinite variety of possible additions such as a sort of liquor or a bitter as the China Martini or Cynar with a lemon peel inside.

Recipe

The Spritz Veneziano is a popular aperitif in northern Italy originated in Venice made with Prosecco, soda water and Aperol apéritif. Aperol is made of gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona, among other ingredients. It has a vibrant orange hue, which is why it is often popular during the summer. Its name comes from "apero", the Italian slang word for aperitif, and a slice of orange. Aperol Spritz is served in a glass full of ice. The drink combines 3 parts Prosecco followed by 2 parts Aperol, topped with a dash of soda water and garnished with a slice of orange.
More generally, the drink is prepared with prosecco wine, bitter liqueur such as Aperol, Campari, Cynar, or, especially in Venice, Aperitivo Select, then the glass is topped off with a dash of sparkling mineral water. It is usually served over ice in a lowball glass and garnished with a slice of orange, or sometimes an olive, depending on the liqueur.
There is no single composition for a spritz, and it is prepared with different ingredients in different towns and cities, meaning that the alcohol content is highly variable. However, a common denominator is the presence of Prosecco and sparkling water, with the remaining being made up from a great variety of alcoholic drinks, sometimes mixed, but with an unwritten rule to preserve the red/orange color of the cocktail. Finally, a slice of lemon, orange or an olive and a few ice cubes are added.

Aperol Spritz glass

Aperol Spritz is typically served in a unique wineglass, with a shape that resembles that of the Aperol bottle turned upside-down, was designed in 2016 by Luca Trazzi, a Venetian designer.

Variations