BY JOANNE SASVARI
Easy to make and low in alcohol, Italy’s appetizing export is the most stylish way to keep cool when the weather is hot.
When the weather is sultry and steamy, we crave something lightly bittered, thirst-quenching and low in alcohol. What we crave is a spritz. The fact that it comes with all the style cred of Italian dolce vita only makes us want it more.
Oh, sure, you might be over the ubiquitous Aperol spritz, with its radioactive-waste-orange hue and too-often too-sweet flavour. We are, too. But made properly, a spritz is a terrific thing, easy to assemble and just as easy to enjoy.
The spritz originated back in the early 1800s, in the Veneto region of Italy, where the sparkling wine known as Prosecco comes from. The way the story goes: Austrian soldiers visiting what was then part of their empire would lighten the local wines with a “spritz” (German for “splash”) of water to make them lighter and more like beer.
Over time, the still water became carbonated, the wine became liqueur or amaro, Prosecco entered the picture and the spritz became an essential part of aperitivo, the civilized hour before dinner when people in Italy meet to socialize over drinks and small bites.
The key here is the amaro, Italian for “bitter.” Amaros are a type of bittered liqueur created to aid in digestion, typically from a secret recipe of herbs, flowers, roots, seeds, citrus peel, bark, spices and/or other botanical things. They are infused in grape brandy, which is then sweetened to make it palatable.
It’s the distinctive herbal bitterness that makes these drinks so appetizing; it also happens to make them pair nicely with salty snacks like olives, cheese and salumi.
There are hundreds of these aperitifs and digestifs; some of the better known in this market include Campari, Fernet-Branca, Amaro Montenegro, Cynar, Averna and Amaro Ramazzotti. Aperol, a lighter, sweeter apéritif made with gentian, rhubarb and cinchona, came along in 1919 followed by the famous spritz in the 1950s.
But any amaro will work in a spritz, and you can also play with other liqueurs, spirits and garnishes from the garden. Just keep in mind that it’s meant to be fizzy and low in alcohol, a long, slow session drink rather than a boozy sprint.
Try these recipes, or, to make your own signature spritz, just follow the traditional 3-2-1 proportions — three parts Prosecco, two parts amaro or liqueur, one part soda water. Serve it with lots of ice in a large glass (wine goblet, Collins or double rocks), stir gently and garnish with a slice of citrus or citrus peel.
Repeat as needed all summer long.
SUMMER SPRITZ RECIPES
Not Sangria
At Victoria’s Wind Cries Mary, the team often takes creative spins on the spritz, including this play on the popular “red wine and cola” idea, created by bartender Charlotte Sirk.
• 1 oz pisco (Chilean or Peruvian brandy)
• ½ oz Esquimalt Kina Salal
• 1 oz Champagne acid or lemon juice
• ½ oz vanilla syrup (see note)
• 1 dash Ms. Betters Kola Bitters
• Lambrusco to top (a fizzy red Italian wine)
• Garnish: lemon twist
Add all the ingredients except Lambrusco to a tall glass and stir gently. Add ice, then top with Lambrusco and garnish with a lemon twist. Serves 1.
Note: You can of course purchase vanilla syrup, but it’s also easy to make your own. Add 1 cup each water and sugar to a small pot, along with a vanilla bean cut in half lengthwise. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, strain out the vanilla bean and chill before using. Makes about 1 cup.
Aperol Spritz
The classic, enjoyed in Italy since the 1950s, has swept North America in a bittersweet wave since the 2010s.
• 3 oz Prosecco
• 2 oz Aperol
• 1 oz club soda
• Garnish: orange slice or lemon peel
Add ice to a large wine glass, then add Prosecco, Aperol and soda. Stir gently. Garnish with the orange slice. Serves 1.
Americano
No, not the coffee, but the cocktail that was first served in the 1860s at Gaspare Campari’s bar in Milan, a lighter, more refreshing precursor to the Negroni. It was also the first cocktail James Bond ordered in Casino Royale, the book that kicked off the series.
• 1 ½ oz Campari
• 1 ½ oz sweet (Italian) vermouth
• Club soda, to top
• Garnish: orange twist
Fill a highball glass with ice, then add the Campari and sweet vermouth. Top with soda water and stir gently to combine. Garnish with orange twist. Serves 1.
St-Germain Hugo Spritz
Move over, Aperol, Hugo’s in town. From Germany to India to the U.S., this bright floral update on the classic spritz is the thirst-quenching cocktail of the moment among jet-setters and backyard party hosts alike.
• 1½ oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 8 to 10 mint leaves, gently slapped to release their aroma
• 2 oz Prosecco such as Martini
• 2 oz soda water
• Garnish: lime wedge and additional sprig of mint
Fill a wine glass with ice. Add St-Germain and mint leaves. Top with Prosecco and soda water. Stir gently. Garnish with mint sprig and lime wedge. Serves 1.