Ingredients
-
6 cl of white wine
-
3 cl of bitter
-
a splash of soda
-
1 orange slice
Directions
You would probably like to make the real Spritz cocktail if you landed on this page. Sure, we are here to help you, but we want to start by saying that an original Spritz recipe made in Veneto doesn’t exist!
Of course, the IBA has codified the most appropriate (according to their thinking) recipe, calling it Venetian Spritz, but this is another matter.
Generalizing, we can say that the Spritz is a cocktail made with white wine, soda water, and bitter, then you can garnish with a slice of orange or lemon peel.
Ok, but who invented the Spritz?
During the 19 century, in the Venetian territories under the Austro-Hungarian Empire kingdom, the Austrians added some seltzer water to the wine since they were not used to such intense beverages.
The wine became much better with sparkling water, and so was the Spritz, from the German word spritzen, which means spraying or sprinkling or whatever.
Over time the Spritz recipe changed and was subject to many influences, and today, if you enter a (Veneto) bar and order a Spritz, you’ll get a glass with sparkling water and… and here it opens up a world.
If you are in Treviso, you will find a Spritz made with Prosecco and Aperol or Campari with an orange slice or an olive, but even if you leave for Venice, the wine is firm, and the bitter used are usually Select or even Cynar.
In Udine, it is a must to make Spritz with (Tocai) Friulano, Aperol, or Campari and decorate it with a lemon peel, while in Trieste, they like it the old way and is still in use an Austro-Hungarian Spritz: wine and sparkling water.
The most astonishing recipe is the official IBA recipe, called Venetian Spritz. Ironically, it is made with Aperol, when the original Venetian recipe is the only one to see the Aperol rarely. A stroke of genius.
It is interesting to see how the world changes without actually changing anything. From booze for older people or mercenaries returning from a patrol, the Spritz is the young and cool cocktail par excellence, an easy-going all-day cocktail good for everyone.
Do you know what the great merit of this cocktail is?
If you have a not-so-great bottle of wine at hand, you can quickly turn it into Spritz, and here’s the magic!
Today we will give you a good for an everyday recipe, not specifying any bitter. Let’s practice a bit and find what you like best. Remember that, as a rule, the more the wine is good and the less bitter you need.
Ingredients of the Italian Spritz cocktail
- 6 cl white wine
- 3 cl of bitter
- a splash of soda
- orange slice
How to prepare the perfect Spritz drink
Put some ice in a tumbler. Pour the wine, add the bitter and fill with some sparkling water. Decorate with an orange slice and serve.
Spritz food pairings
Spritz is the ultimate aperitif and the perfect brunch drink: you can pair it with a host of finger food and “Cicchetti,” but it excels particularly with fish, white meats, poultry, and spicy foods. Avoid at any cost red meat. Recommended dishes: parmigiana ravioli, spaghetti with clams, chicken tikka masala, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Tonnato, truffle risotto, pasta alla carbonara, paella mixta.
Sparkling cocktails you should try
French 75 cocktail, Spritz, Mimosa, Hugo cocktail, Pirlo, Champagne cocktail, Bellini, Rossini, Tintoretto, Pino cocktail, Negroni Sbagliato.
