The Spritz isn’t new, but it’s a phenomenon

If you make it to Italy this year, be sure to try an Aperol Spritz. It will certainly be easy to find.

The Aperol Spritz is a phenomenon like no other. Drinks come and go. Some like the Cosmopolitan bask in popularity for years, and others, like the Martini, are perennial. But we have never seen anything reach the popularity of the Aperol Spritz. Never. It is on almost every single table in Italy, everywhere. And it has spread out from there.

Created in 1919 by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri in Padua, Italy, Aperol’s softer, sweeter taste and pinkish-orange color pose a regional challenge to the powerhouse of Piedmont’s bitter, carmine-hued Campari. Aperol is half the strength of Campari and derives its flavor primarily from gentian, cinchona and rhubarb. It was quite popular when it was first introduced but began fading after World War II, so much so that Gruppo Campari purchased the brand in 2003.

And then, along came the Aperol Spritz.

The Spritz is not a new drink. It originated in Venice in the 1800s when the Habsburgs of Austria ruled the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia.

Spritz comes from the German “spritzen,” or “sparkling,” and originally referred to a mixture of local wine with sparkling water. Spend a summer or early fall in Italy, and you will quickly realize why, unlike most of Europe, they like ice in their drinks. The Mediterranean climate can be hot and humidity, so refreshing, iced drinks are a necessity. In fact, the classic Americano cocktail, the precursor to the Negroni, was essentially a Vermouth Spritz with Campari added. The modern Spritz simply adds prosecco to the mix.

Today, the Campari Spritz is also seeing a surge in popularity, riding the coattails of its former bitter rival, but Aperol outsells Campari nearly two to one, combining for a whopping 140 million liters sold in 2022 — 79.2 million liters of Aperol, 40.5 million liters of Campari — according to Statista. And sales are expected to increase by 20% in 2023. Phenomenon is almost an understatement.

Other liquor companies have certainly noticed and are now getting in on the act. Other Spritzes are now appearing on the market using a basic ratio of one part spirit, one part prosecco and a splash of soda water. They’re served over ice in a wine glass, with a garnish that changes depending on the spirit.

Here is a California-ized take on the original — the amaro made by Healdsburg’s Young & Yonder is heavier than Aperol, but lighter than Campari, giving you the best of both worlds –and two other examples I collected from my travels in Italy.

California Spritz

1 ounce Young & Yonder California Amaro

1 ounce Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut

¾ ounce sparkling water

1 blood orange wheel

Directions: Fill a large Bordeaux-style wine glass three quarters full of ice. Add amaro and sparkling wine, stir and top with soda. Garnish by submerging orange slice.

Hugo Spritz

1 ounce St‑Germain elderflower liqueur

1 ounce Domaine Carneros extra-dry brut

¾ ounce sparkling water

1 ounce (about a loose tablespoon) of cleaned and stemmed mint leaves

5 or 6 Champagne grapes

Directions: Fill a large Bordeaux-style wine glass three quarters full of ice. Add elderflower liqueur and sparkling wine. Top with soda water and place mint leaves on top. Stir to combine, then garnish with grapes.

Limoncello-ish Spritz

¾ ounce Hanson Meyer lemon vodka

¾ ounce Hanson Mandarin orange vodka

½ ounce fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice

½ ounce honey simple syrup (50:50 water to honey)

1 ounce J Vineyards Cuvée 20 sparkling wine

¾ ounce sparkling water

1 strip lemon zest

Directions: Fill a large Bordeaux-style wine glass three quarters full of ice. Combine first five ingredients and stir slightly. Top with soda water and garnish with lemon zest.

Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. Iand II” and the host of the Barfly Podcast. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffbarflyIJ@outlook.com.