Spritz (3:2:1 Prosecco to Aperol to Soda)

90 ml (3 parts)

Prosecco DOC — Dry (Brut) or Extra Dry Prosecco; Extra Dry (12–17 g/L residual sugar) is the traditional choice and softens Aperol's bitterness without tipping to cloying; Brut produces a leaner, more structured drink

60 ml (2 parts)

Aperol — Orange-bitter liqueur at 11% ABV with rhubarb, gentian, cinchona, and sweet orange; relatively low alcohol enables the higher proportion without overwhelming ABV

30 ml (1 part)

Soda water — Plain carbonated water; provides dilution and prolongs the Prosecco's carbonation; tonic water can substitute for more bitterness (see variations)

To fill the glass before building

Large ice cubes or a single ice rock — Pre-chilling the wine glass with ice is essential; Spritzes are not shaken or stirred — they are built in the glass over ice

1 slice per glass

Orange half-wheel garnish — Functional as well as decorative: citrus oils released as the slice macerates in the cold drink brighten the nose throughout consumption

Fill a large balloon wine glass (400–450 ml capacity) with 3–4 large ice cubes. Pour 90 ml of well-chilled Prosecco over the ice. Add 60 ml of Aperol — pouring it after the Prosecco prevents the Aperol from sinking to the bottom and creating an unmixed layer. Finish with 30 ml of soda water added gently, angling the glass to preserve carbonation. Stir once or twice only — two leisurely passes of a bar spoon is enough to integrate without deflating. Garnish with a half-wheel of fresh orange placed over the ice, and optionally a green olive on a pick (the Venetian tradition, still common in aperitivo bars in the Veneto).

• Temperature is critical: Prosecco should be served at 6–8 °C — too warm and the carbonation releases immediately on contact with ice, leaving a flat drink before it's consumed.
• The glass size matters more than people expect: a too-small glass forces excessive ice-to-drink ratio and dilutes the cocktail prematurely; the Italian standard balloon wine glass (400 ml+) is the right vessel.
• Adjust the soda proportion to personal preference without guilt — the 3:2:1 ratio is a commercial codification, not a Platonic ideal. Many Italian bar workers in Venice use a 2:1:1 ratio for a drier, more structured aperitivo.
• Use fresh ice, not recycled freezer ice: old ice carries odours that are magnified in an uncovered, large-format wine glass.
• The green olive garnish (typical in Veneto aperitivo bars) is not arbitrary: its brininess cuts the sweetness of Aperol and creates a savory bridge to the food — cicchetti, chips, olives — typically served alongside.

• Select Spritz (Venice original)

  Aperol only arrived in Venice in the 1950s–60s; the original Venetian spritz used Select, a more intensely bitter local amaro — producing a drier, less sweet drink at the same 3:2:1 ratio

• Campari Spritz

  Replace Aperol with Campari at 2 parts; Campari is significantly more bitter and lower in residual sugar than Aperol, so the ratio may shift to 3:1.5:1 to avoid overwhelming the Prosecco

• Cynar Spritz

  Artichoke-based amaro replacing Aperol; earthy, slightly sweet bitter profile; often adjusted to 3:1:1 (less Cynar) as its bitterness is more persistent than Aperol's

• Hugo Spritz (elder flower variant)

  Prosecco, elderflower cordial or St-Germain, soda, fresh mint — a floral, non-bitter alpine variant popular in South Tyrol and Austria; ratio 3:1:1 cordial:soda, no bitter liqueur

• Tonic substitution

  Replace soda water with tonic water (1 part): quinine bitterness amplifies the bitter character of Aperol and adds its own herbal note — effectively a bitterswing for those who find the standard Spritz too sweet

• Negroni (1:1:1)

  Higher-ABV equal-parts Italian aperitivo cocktail — stronger, more concentrated, the Spritz's big sibling in Italian aperitivo culture

• Kir Royale (5:1 sparkling wine to crème de cassis)

  French sparkling-wine-and-liqueur aperitivo with a similar structure — dominant wine, subordinate sweet-bitter liqueur — but no soda dilution

• Bellini (4:1 Prosecco to peach purée)

  Venice's other famous Prosecco aperitivo — fruit-forward, no bitterness component, originated at Harry's Bar

1. 1.Aperitivo: The Cocktail Culture of Italy — Marisa Huff (2016)
2. 2.Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails — Kaplan, Fauchald & Nealon (2014)
3. 3.The Cocktail Guy: Infusions, Distillations and Innovative Recipes — Rich Woods (2018)
4. 4.The PDT Cocktail Book — Jim Meehan (2011)

Confidence: high