Spritz Season Is Here. Add These Refreshing Recipes to Your Rotation.
We’re big fans of seasonal drinking here at Wine Enthusiast and now as we welcome spring and eagerly await summer, it’s time for a menu refresh. The two beverages that are top of mind? Spritzes and spritzers—low-abv cocktails that are meant to be enjoyed outdoors, with the sun shining.
While the spritz and the spritzer sound similar, they are in fact two different drinks. The spritzer is essentially two ingredients—three parts wine and one part soda—with various garnishes. Meanwhile, the spritz is composed of three primary ingredients: an amaro, sparkling wine and a splash of soda.
These cocktails may taste best at a table outside in an Italian piazza, but they are also very satisfying and easy to mix at home. We rounded up our favorites below, from the classic Aperol spritz to the flavorful Spanish Kalimotxo and much more.
The Aperol Spritz
The hero of Italian happy hour, the Aperol spritz is a sunny, sweet and bitter cocktail that speaks to the platonic idea of refreshment. Typically served as an after work drink or before dinner aperitif, the cocktail is a simple mix of Prosecco, Aperol and club soda. We’re partial to a 3-2-1 ratio of the aforementioned ingredients, but switch up the volumes to find the taste that suits you.
The Campari Spritz
If an Aperol Spritz is too sweet for you, consider a Campari spritz. Made with Campari, a classic red bitter from Northern Italy, it has a more intense herbal flavor along with the same refreshing bubbles of its lighter-alcohol cousin.
The Hugo Spritz
Arguably the trendiest spritz of the past couple of years, the Hugo spritz has gained legions of fans for its delicately botanical flavor, courtesy of the elderflower liqueur St. Germain and muddled mint—flavors that elegantly scream summer.
The St. Germain Spritz
Love elderflower, but hate mint? Then the St. Germain spritz is for you. It’s mixed with club soda, Prosecco, St. Germain and a lemon twist for a very subtle flavor profile.
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The Limoncello Spritz
Drink like an Italian on summer holiday with the Limoncello spritz. Typically served as a digestif, limoncello, a sweet lemon liqueur, is tempered with Prosecco. This preparation mellows out what is typically a very intense spirit.
The Venice-Style Prosecco Spritz
This one is for Negroni fans who want something a little lighter. The Venice-Style spritz is mixed with Aperol (or another amaro), vermouth and Prosecco.
The Tonino House Spritz
Adapted from the Boston bar and restaurant Tonino, this recipe for the Tonino House spritz calls for yuzu sake, Topo Chico and Cappaletti’s Vino Aperitivo, a classic red bitter. The concoction is so popular, it never comes off the menu—even in winter.
The Basil Spritz
Love the aroma of a summer garden? Then the bright-green Basil spritz, which features homemade basil syrup with sparkling wine and vodka, is calling for you.
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The Sandía Spritz
The heat is on with the Sandía spritz, a watermelon-flavored drink with a base of rum or bourbon and a splash of Ancho Reyes.
The Apple Cider Spritz
Thanks to climate change, you might catch an 80-degree day in autumn, a time of year that calls for apple-flavored everything. Sprizes included. Try the Apple Cider spritz for a seasonally appropriate beverage. It’s made with a spiced apple syrup, whiskey and club soda.
The High Noon Spritz
The High Noon spritz is a cocktail for those who like to drink with their eyes first. It’s a light cocktail—just off-dry white wine plus club soda—perfumed with a dramatic whole sprig of aromatic rosemary plus frozen cranberries and a lime wedge nestled into the glass.
The Riesling Pineapple Spritz
We love Rieslings for their pineapple aromas and the Riesling Pineapple spritz amps up the tropical flavor with Giffard liqueur.
The Spritz Americain
This recipe for a Spritz Americain comes from a bartender at the JW Marriott, who concocted his answer to the European-style spritz. It’s made with frozen grapes, maple syrup, dry vermouth and lemon juice.
The Hawaiian Spritzer
The Hawaiian spritzer has all the spice you love in a mulled wine, but in a chilled, refreshing form. Mixed with ginger beer, homemade mulling spice syrup and Merlot, the drink bursts with flavor.
The White Wine Spritzer
While technically not a spritz (which requires some sort of spirit or liqueur plus sparkling wine for effervescence) the white wine spritzer is in the same family. It’s a lighter drink composed of white wine and soda water, with a garnish or two. For a milder drink that will still bring on a subtle buzz, try this.
The Spanish Spritzer
While the American wine spritzer is usually made with plain club soda, Spanish spritzers generally use flavored sodas like Coca-Cola or Lemon Fanta, which are mixed with red or white wine. Try one of these four recipes.
The Kalimotxo
When a drink is only two ingredients, proportions matter. Our recipe for a classic Spanish Kalimotxo calls for three ounces of red wine and once ounce of cola.
More Cocktail Recipes
- 12 brunch cocktails that won’t knock you out by noon.
- Prosecco-based cocktails for summer drinking.
- Feeling sparkly? Try these Champagne cocktails.
- Go green with these festive St. Patrick’s Day cocktails.
- The two-ingredient Carajillo is much more than the next espresso martini.
- That said, the espresso martini remains one of our favorites, in all its variations.
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