Spritz: Your New Summer Cocktail
Hi friend,
Good news, I found our new summer cocktail in the pages of a new book I read this spring: Spritz by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau.
How does a mix of bitter liquor, bubbly prosecco and soda water sound?
Spritz the book traces the history and popularity of Italy’s aperitivo cocktail, which can take many forms depending on where you are. It includes recipes for the drinks as well as nibbles to accompany them.
Legend has it, according to the authors, that the modern spritz has its roots in 19th century Hapsburg occupied northern Italy. Austrian soldiers added a spritz or spray of water to Italian wines to make them more palatable.
“The drink went through a number of iterations, first with the inclusion of soda water at the turn of the 19th century, then the addition of the all-important bitter element (which made it both undeniably Italian and a proper cocktail) in the 1920’s and early 1930’s, and finally the widespread addition of prosecco in the 1990’s.” –“Spritz” by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau
Your new summer cocktail, the spritz, most often includes a bitter liquor like Aperol or Campari, prosecco and soda water. But there are many, many variations.
- 2 ounces bitter liquor
- 3 to 4 ounces prosecco
- 2 ounces soda water
- ice
- olive and orange half-wheel for garnish
- Build the ingredients in a rocks or wine glass, over ice, and add a garnish.
From the publisher:
“From Milan to Los Angeles, Venice to New York, the spritz—Italy’s bitter and bubbly aperitivo cocktail—has become synonymous with a leisurely, convivial golden hour. But the spritz is more than just an early evening cocktail—it’s a style of drinking.”
Let me know if you try a spritz,
XO,
Jennifer
*I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books. All opinions are my own.
