Perfect Aperol Spritz

A perfect classic Aperol Spritz is light, refreshing, and bubbly! We first tried this cocktail in Italy and have loved them ever since.

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After trying my first Aperol Spritz in Venice several years ago, I immediately started browsing Aperol Spritz recipes to make them when I returned home.

Light and bubbly Aperol Spritz cocktails are perfect for warm weather and summertime. Enjoy before dinner, Enjoy them before dinner, or serve them with lighter dishes like antipasto, bruschetta, shrimp scampi, olives, slices of focaccia, and Caprese salad.

What is an Aperol Spritz?

An Aperol Spritz is a classic Italian cocktail. It’s made with Prosecco, Aperol, and soda water and is often served as an apéritif (enjoyed before a meal to stimulate the appetite). An Aperol Spritz tastes mildly bitter, with an orange and herbal sweetness. It’s light, refreshing, effervescent (bubby), and has lower alcohol content than other cocktails.

Key Ingredients

• Aperol: Look for Aperol next to liqueurs and bitters, like Amaro. Aperol is a vibrant reddish-orange liqueur that tastes citrusy, herbal, and bittersweet.
• Prosecco: Look for Prosecco next to sparkling wines. This Italian sparkling wine tastes light, crisp, and fruity. Look for Brut on the label, which means the Prosecco is not sweet. Avoid sweeter styles of Prosecco, like Prosecco Dolce, which will make your Aperol Spritz too sweet. I look for mid-range bottles of Prosecco (just as I do when buying sparkling wine for mimosas). Small-batch producers or bottles with labels mentioning DOC or DOCG are usually more tasty and enjoyable if you can find them. If you have a local wine shop, ask the staff for guidance and their suggestions.
• Soda water: Plain soda water works nicely. You can also use club soda with minerals and salt added (I prefer this for flavor) or your favorite sparkling water brand.

How to Make an Aperol Spritz

The classic Aperol Spritz ratio is 3-2-1, which means you will need 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, and 1 part soda water. With this ratio, your cocktail is flavorful, not too bitter, and not too sweet.

Reduce the Aperol and increase the Prosecco for less bitterness. For lower alcohol content, reduce the Prosecco and Aperol a little and increase the soda water. If you love the bitterness, and want more, try making a Campari Spritz.

To make an Aperol Spritz, add your Aperol, Prosecco, and soda water to a wine glass filled with ice. I add the Aperol first, then the Prosecco, and finally, the soda water. Then, garnish with a fresh slice of orange. When making your Aperol Spritz, you can give the cocktail a gentle stir, but be careful not to overdo it so that you do not deflate the bubbles from the Prosecco.

Aperol Spritz Recipe Variations

• Campari Spritz: Swap Aperol for Campari, which tastes less sweet and more bitter. Here’s our Campari Spritz recipe.
• Grapefruit Aperol Spritz: Use grapefruit sparkling water instead of plain soda water. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit.
• Blood Orange Aperol Spritz: Use blood orange sparkling water instead of plain soda water. Garnish with a slice of blood orange.
• Cranberry Aperol Spritz: Substitute one ounce of the Aperol in our classic recipe with 1 ounce (30ml) of cranberry juice.