Aperol Spritz recipe
Aperol, prosecco and soda water, built over ice in a wine glass, garnished with a slice of orange.
By Kris Barton · Updated - 2 mins total
- 4 ingredients
- Wine glass
- 181 kcal
The Aperol Spritz recipe is a simple one: mix Aperol, Prosecco, and Soda water together.
It doesn’t sound like much at first glance, but boy does it work…and it works remarkably well.
It’s bitter, bubbly, and very, very refreshing.
What is an Aperol Spritz cocktail?
An Aperol Spritz is – yes, you guessed it – a type of Spritz cocktail.
I mean it’s in the name, isn’t it?
But what exactly is a Spritz cocktail? That’s a great question.
What are Spritz Cocktails?
Spritz cocktails are Italian wine-based drinks that usually consist of Prosecco, Soda Water, and Digestive Bitters.
OK…what are Digestive Bitters? Another great question!
What are Digestive Bitters?
Digestive Bitters is a botanical, yet alcoholic, drink that’s bitter or bittersweet to the taste.
Back in the day, Digestive Bitters were used for medicinal purposes. Often, it was medicinal herbs and spices mixed with wine to create them.
As time went by, these Digestive Bitters were used more for cocktails and social drinking.
The most common Digestive Bitters used in Spritz cocktails are Aperol, Campari, Select, and Cynar.
What Ingredients do you need to make an Aperol Spritz?
Before we take a look at the Aperol Spritz recipe, let’s first take a look at the ingredients we need to make the drink.
Aperol
Aperol is a type of Italian Digestive Bitters.
Considered an aperitif (a drink served before a meal), Aperol is made from Gentian, Rhubarb, and Cinchona and has a vibrant orange hue.
The name Aperol comes from the Italian slang word for Aperitivio (aka aperitif), which is apero.
So Aperol literally means aperitif.
Aperol was originally created in 1919 by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, though it did not become popular until after the Second World War.
Now Aperol is owned by the Campari group and in the 00’s saw a resurgence with the popularity of the Aperol Spritz cocktail.
Prosecco
Prosecco is an Italian white wine that’s almost always made to be some level of sparkling.
By law it’s made from the Prosecco grape – aka the Glera grape – but up to 15% of the wine is permitted to be made up by other grape varieties.
For Prosecco, we recommend:
Soda Water
Soda Water is essentially water that contains dissolved Carbon Dioxide gas.
This can either infused with the water artificially or occur naturally.
Soda Water is thought to have been around since 1740, but became popular in 1783 when the Soda industry really took off and Soda Water was bottled and sold.
For Soda Water, we recommend:
How do You Garnish an Aperol Spritz?
You garnish an Aperol Spritz with a slice of orange.
This isn’t to compliment the bitter, sharp taste – more compliment the striking orange colour of the Aperol Spritz cocktail.
What Cocktail Equipment do you need to make an Aperol Spritz?
Before we get to the Aperol Spritz recipe, let’s take a look at what you need to make an Aperol Spritz!
A Super Simple Drink
This cocktail doesn’t need much in the way of equipment – it’s that easy to make!
No Cocktail Shaker, not even a bar spoon.
You just need a glass to put it in.
And since an Aperol Spritz is a wine-based cocktail, it’s a wine glass you need to make it!
Wine Glasses
Wine Glasses are great for Wine, but even better for wine-based cocktails!
They’re classy, they look the part, and more importantly they’re big!
For Wine Glasses, we recommend:
Now, let’s get our Aperol Spritz recipe…
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Recipe card
Aperol Spritz
- Prep
- 1 min
- Making
- 1 min
- Total
- 2 mins
- Serves
- 1
- Glass
- Wine glass
- Calories
- 181 kcal
Ingredients
Makes 1 drink.
Method
- Add ice, Aperol, prosecco, and soda water to a wine glass.
- Garnish with a slice of orange.
Want more like this? Browse our full collection of modern cocktails.
Aperol Spritz FAQs
What is an Aperol Spritz?
A Spritz cocktail. Spritzes are Italian wine-based drinks, usually prosecco, soda water and digestive bitters, and in an Aperol Spritz the bitters are Aperol. It’s bitter, bubbly and very, very refreshing.
What is Aperol?
Aperol is an Italian digestive bitters, drunk as an aperitif (before a meal). It’s made from gentian, rhubarb and cinchona, which give it its vibrant orange colour, and its name comes from “apero”, Italian slang for aperitif. Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created it in 1919, but it didn’t become popular until after the Second World War. It’s now owned by the Campari Group.
What are digestive bitters?
Botanical, alcoholic drinks with a bitter or bittersweet taste. They started out as medicine, made by mixing medicinal herbs and spices with wine, and over time became something to drink socially and in cocktails. The ones most used in Spritz cocktails are Aperol, Campari, Select and Cynar.
Do you need any equipment to make an Aperol Spritz?
Hardly any. There’s no cocktail shaker, not even a bar spoon: you build it straight in the glass.
What glass is an Aperol Spritz served in?
A wine glass. An Aperol Spritz is a wine-based cocktail, and wine glasses look the part and, more importantly, they’re big.
How do you garnish an Aperol Spritz?
With a slice of orange. It isn’t there for the taste so much as to match the drink’s striking orange colour.
What Ingredients do you need to make an Aperol Spritz?
To make an Aperol Spritz, you need 60ml / 2oz Aperol, 90ml / 3oz prosecco and 30ml / 1oz soda water, plus a slice of orange to garnish. There’s more about the ingredients above.
What alcohol is in an Aperol Spritz?
An Aperol Spritz contains 60ml / 2oz Aperol and 90ml / 3oz prosecco.
Is an Aperol Spritz shaken or stirred?
Neither. An Aperol Spritz is built straight in a wine glass: pour the ingredients over ice and serve. No shaker needed.
How do I make an Aperol Spritz for a group?
The recipe makes one drink. Multiply every measure by the number of drinks you want: for 4, you’d need 240ml Aperol, 360ml prosecco and 120ml soda water. Build each drink in its own glass.
