Aperol Spritz Recipe Bartender

We’re going to Italy this summer, so I’m celebrating with this classic Aperol spritz recipe! Aperol spritzes are ultra refreshing, not-too-sweet bubbly cocktails.

A proper Aperol spritz tastes like summertime in Italy and looks like a golden orange sunset. I’ll gladly sip one on our front porch now, overlooking our overgrown front yard, and later, with a view of the Italian Riviera.

The Aperol spritz has been in the spotlight over the past week, since the New York Times boldly declared that “The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink.” Grub Street shot back that the “Entire Internet Agrees Aperol Spritz Is, in Fact, Good.”

Our Aperol Spritz Bartender Has Cocktail Skills, Lovebox 2…

I, for one, find the Aperol spritz to be entirely delightful. Both articles are written with the assumption that you have tried an Aperol spritz, but what if you haven’t? I vote that we all make some this weekend and decide for ourselves.

Only Aperol will do here. Aperol is a bright orange apéritif. The brand describes the flavors as, “zesty orange with complex herbal scents harmonized with a touch of vanilla.” Look for Aperol near the liqueurs or amaros at the liquor store.

For some fizzy dilution. Any unflavored sparkling water will work. I keep cans of sparkling water in my pantry for this purpose.

How To Make The Best Aperol Spritz Recipe

The generally accepted ratio is equal parts Aperol and Prosecco plus a splash of club soda. However, you can play around with the ratio until your Aperol spritz tastes exactly the way you like it. I like mine with a little more Prosecco than Aperol.

Aperol’s bitter notes can take some getting used to, so you can reduce the bitterness by using less Aperol and more Prosecco.

As written, your Aperol spritz is around 11 percent alcohol content by volume (Aperol is 11% ABV and Prosecco is 12%). To make it even lower in alcohol content, use proportionally more club soda and less Aperol and Prosecco.

How To Make An Aperol Spritz

The aperol spritz is commonly served as an apéritif. Apéritifs are designed to be served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. They’re typically lightly alcoholic and more dry than sweet.

Serve your Aperol spritzes with Italian or general Mediterranean-flavored appetizers. Keep in mind that Aperol is on the bitter side. Salty, creamy/fatty and sweet foods take the edge off bitter flavors.

Please let me know how you like Aperol spritz cocktails in the comments! I really love hearing from you, and hope these bubbly cocktails become your go-to summer patio drink.

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Looking for more refreshing cocktails? Here are a few of my favorites, and you can view all of my cocktail recipes here.

Learn how to make a classic Aperol spritz! These bubbly Italian cocktails are refreshing and so easy to make. Aperol spritzes are best made one by one, so the recipe is written to yield one cocktail and you can make more as necessary. Cheers!

Recommended equipment: I really love the stemless wine glasses (affiliate link) shown in these photos. They are my everyday wine drinking glass, and I almost never break them.

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Apple Cider Aperol Spritz

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Walk through an Italian town during the late-afternoon—particularly in Northern cities like Milan and Venice—and you’ll find groups of people enjoying Aperol Spritzes. The after-work spritz is a long-established Italian tradition, and fortunately, it’s one that’s easily replicated anywhere.

Aperol traces its roots back to Padua, Italy. The aperitivo—an appetite-whetting beverage designed to be consumed before dinner—was created in 1919. Its bittersweet flavor, aromatic botanicals and easygoing alcohol content (it’s only 11% ABV) made it the perfect choice for pre-dinner sipping.

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Pair Aperol with bubbly wine and sparkling water, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more refreshing and thirst-quenching cocktail. And because it’s low in alcohol, you can start drinking early and still make it to dinner.

While the Aperol Spritz has been enjoyed in Italy for more than a century, it didn’t reach mass appeal in the United States until the 2010s, as drinkers became more familiar with aperitivos and lower-alcohol drinks. Today, it’s a staple at cocktail bars, Italian and non-Italian restaurants, and it can be found almost anywhere that serves brunch on sunny patios.

The Aperol Spritz is also a great candidate for at-home cocktail hour since it’s as easy to make as it is to drink. The three ingredients are simply combined in the glass with ice, no shaking, stirring or elaborate flourishes required. Once complete, the drink’s deliciously complex flavor and gorgeous coral hue belie you having created a classic cocktail in two minutes.

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While any sparkling wine can be combined with Aperol and soda, note that a true Aperol Spritz calls specifically for Italian bubbly. Proseccos range from sweet to dry, so choose one that hits the sweetness level you prefer. Then make yourself a drink and relax. You might not be in Italy, but with a good cocktail in hand, you can at least channel the country’s long-standing tradition of aperitivo hour.

I don't like this at all. It's not the worst. Sure, this will do. I'm a fan—would recommend. Amazing! I love it! Thanks for your rating!

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Aperol Spritz: A Simple Drink You Might Be Doing Wrong

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To me, nothing beats dining alfresco on a hot summer afternoon, especially if you’re snacking on the perfect dip, a cheese board, Italian-style antipasto platter, or a simple burrata platter with crusty bread and delicious fixings.

So, allow me to introduce you to my take on this Italian cocktail, an easy aperol spritz recipe you can make with just 4 ingredients and in mere seconds!

Blended Aperol Spritz Cocktail Recipe

Aperol is a low-alcohol (11% ABV) Italian bitter. Like its lemony frozen cousin, Sgroppino, this drink is typically served as an aperitif before a meal to stimulate the appetite. It is made with rhubarb, oranges, gentian root, cinchona bark, and more.

With its perfectly balanced sweet, bitter, and herby flavor, aperol is less polarizing than the better-known Italian aperitif, campari, which is too bitter in comparison.

Aperol is best known for its use in the popular bubbly Italian cocktail, the aperol spritz, which is perfect for sipping on a sunny afternoon, but equally refreshing in the fall.

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Kristina, who is on our team, spent some time studying food nutrition in Italy – that’s when she became quite familiar with this popular orange Italian cocktail!It wasn’t uncommon for her group to walk down the streets of Rome at the end of the work day to find many enjoying a little afternoon aperol spritz.

Classic aperol spritz is made of aperol, prosecco, and club soda (or soda water). In my recipe, I skip the club soda in favor of a little freshly squeezed orange juice. Orange juice adds a little natural sweetness to balance the bitterness of the aperol.

Any navel oranges would work, but this time I used cara cara oranges, which are pink fleshed and a tad sweeter than regular navel oranges. And, thanks to the prosecco, the cocktail is still plenty fizzy without the addition of club soda.

Here's How To Make The Perfect Aperol Spritz

To make this aperol spritz recipe, simply fill a wine glass with ice (almost to the top of the glass). Pour in 1 ½ ounces fresh orange juice (if using), and equal parts Aperol and dry prosecco (about 3 ounces each).

Because this aperol cocktail recipe is so simple, you could easily eyeball the ingredients and adjust to your taste. Want it sweeter? Add more orange juice. Need more bubbles? Top it off with a splash of prosecco. The beauty of this Italian cocktail is that it can be