There’s nothing wrong with an Aperol Spritz—like red nail polish, The Great Gatsby, or the early work of Britney J. Spears, it’s classic for a reason. And that reason is: It’s perfect. Prosecco, Aperol, club soda, an orange wedge. No night that began with an Aperol spritz has ever ended in murder and mayhem. I think. But, for the sake of moving time forward and having a bit of fun, we came up with six spritz recipes that follow the easy formula of:
base + bubbles + more bubbles + garnish
But instead of your usual Prosecco, club soda, etc, we’re playing with Amaro combined with the nose-hair-tingling bubbles of cherry soda and Lambrusco. There’s the crowd-pleaser Campari, sparkling rosé, and lemon soda. And the weird, slightly savory one you didn’t see coming but can’t stop sipping, Pimm’s and Cel-Ray soda (the test kitchen’s favorite). Cynar and grapefruit soda?! Don’t mind if I do. (The sweet-bitter combo is super refreshing after a long summer’s day of poolside napping.) The thing here is, you need to try all five to truly decide which spritz is right for you.
Spritz 101
Combine 2 oz. liqueur and 3 oz. sparkling wine in an ice-filled glass
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Top with a splash of soda and stir gently to combine.
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Garnish optional but highly recommended (grapefruit zest, a slice of peeled ginger, a cherry on top never hurt).
Memorize: The 2:3 ratio of liqueur to sparkling wine. Everything else will fall into place—in your glass.
Get the recipes:
