The Drink of Summer: The Spritz, its origin, and how it is made

Summer is here full on – with hot sunny days that beg for a thirst-quenching cocktail. Time for the Spritz – the quintessential drink of summer. It’s on every drink menu and cocktail special from coast to coast and around the world.

What is a Spritz?

If you ever tried the Spritz, you have probably had an Aperol Spritz. But did you know that this is not the only version you can find in Italy? Italians, especially Venetians, where the drink originated, love the Spritz because of the simplicity of the recipe.

Just 3 ingredients and you have the perfect summer drink.

A Spritz is made with white wine, usually from the Veneto region, like Prosecco or Pinot Grigio, and a bitter liqueur, like Aperol, Campari, or Cynar, with a dash of soda water. Just remember the 3-2-1 rule:

• 3 parts of white wine (like Prosecco)
• 2 parts of a bitter liqueur of your choice
• 1 part of soda water.

Mix all the ingredients in a wine glass partially filled with ice and gently stir. Garnish with a green olive or an orange slice.

The Spritz: Its Origins

Although we associate the Spritz with Italy, especially the Veneto region around Venice, the drink actually has its roots in Austria. In the 1800s Northern Italy was part of the Austo Hungarian Empire (the country of Italy as we know it did not start until 1861).

In German, the word Spritz means “to splash”: Austrian soldiers stationed in the region, who were not used to the strong Italian wines, gave the name G’Spritzer to the concoction they created by adding equal parts soda water to wine. This created a beverage that had about the same alcohol percentage as beer.

Over time the name Spritz changed as well as its ingredients and now it is no longer wine mixed with a splash of water but a very popular summer cocktail.

The Aperol Spritz

The invention of the Aperol changed the Spritz forever. The Barbieri brothers created the Aperol in 1919. During the 1950s, the Aperol Spritz started to become a popular drink in the chic Paduan society, especially in summer

 

In 2003, the Campari Group purchased Aperol and transformed the Aperol Spritz into a cocktail for the trendy members of Venetian society. In the early 2000s, the “Spritz” was introduced to the United States and promoted it as the go-to drink for summer sipping.

Next Up: The Hugo Spritz

Despite using an iconic French ingredient, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, this cocktail was created in Northern Italy, before going global and becoming a modern twist on a classic. Invented around 2005, the Hugo Spritz was created by bartender Roland Gruber in the Northern Italian town of Naturno, near the Austrian border.

At the turn of the 2020s, as the Aperol Spritz experienced a renewed surge in popularity. The Hugo Spritz — has followed the trajectory of popularity and is now a worldwide sensation.

 

 

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