The rise of the spritz is a global phenomenon. Zesty, bubble-forward and refreshing, the low-ABV cocktail continues to dominate happy hours around the world. Though the clear favorite in the category, the Aperol Spritz was created in Italy in the 1950s, and enjoyed at aperitivo hour for generations, it didn’t really hit the U.S. until the mid-2000s. And when it did, it was game over. The spritz can’t stop, won’t stop.
Endless variations have surfaced in recent years, exploring the rich amaro category and other herbal and fruit liqueurs, as well the carbonated component in the drink. Effervescent cocktails have been enjoyed since the 19th century, once soda water was introduced as a mixer in the early 1800s, so what makes a spritz, a spritz?
The drink is generally characterized by its three main parts: a bittersweet liqueur or aperitif, sparkling wine, and soda water. But, through the years, bartenders and home mixologists alike have taken liberties with the build, ratio, and ingredient make-up of the spritz. Is it refreshing? Does it sparkle? Is it a lower alcohol aperitivo and a perfect pre-dinner stomach opener? Then it’s a spritz!
We’ve gathered our top spritz recipes from the traditional Italian favorite and a limoncello variation, to a spice pear version perfect to usher in fall, and the recent social media darling, the Hugo Spritz.
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Spaghett
This two-ingredient beer spritz uses a light, crisp lager instead of prosecco or sparkling wine and a bitter aperitif. For a more robust, bitter version, opt for the bolder Campari liqueur. For a lighter, fruit-forward drink, try it with Aperol. Low-alcohol, crowd-pleasing, and shockingly simple to make, this beer cocktail comes together right in the bottle.
Hugo Spritz
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
This modern classic cocktail, created around 2005 by bartender Roland Gruber in Northern Italy, features St-Germain elderflower liqueur, prosecco, seltzer, and mint. Though it started out as a regional cocktail, by the time it hit TikTok in the summer of 2023, the drink became the new “it” spritz to sweep the country.
Aperol Spritz
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food styling by Lucy Simon
Vibrant orange, bittersweet and a beloved favorite of aperitivo hour, the Aperol Spritz is the blueprint for many of the spritzes that have come after. The original recipe calls for the iconic 3:2:1 spritz ratio: three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, and one part soda water. But feel free to play with the ingredients and ratios to fit your tastes.
Limoncello Spritz
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
This two-ingredient sparkler combines limoncello and sparkling wine for a fresh and zingy take on the spritz. Light, refreshing and simple to make, this is an ideal before dinner drink that tastes like the Amalfi coast. An herb garnish adds a pop of color and fresh aromatics.
Dirty Martini Spritz
Food & Wine / Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop styling by Christina Daley
What do you get when you cross a Dirty Martini with a spritz? A savory refresher that is crisp and light with all the makings of the old school classic. Gin, dry vermouth, olive brine, orange bitters, and a generous amount of club soda come together to make this unlikely combo sing.
Espresso Spritz
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Refreshing and low in alcohol, this sprizy take on an Espresso Martini is made with freshly brewed espresso, coffee amaro, pineapple juice, vanilla syrup, and prosecco. This bittersweet and slightly fruity spritz is a signature on the menu at Good Guy’s, a spritz-focused bar in New York City co-owned by veteran bartenders and Attaboy owners Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy.
Campari Spritz
This combination of prosecco, sparkling water, and red bitter liqueur Campari, is a variation worthy of attention. The Campari Spritz is a favorite in Milan, where the bitter liqueur is produced. It’s common to see locals sipping Campari Spritzes along with those iconic aperitivo at the Camparino bar in the city’s famous Galleria.
Spiced Pear Spritz
Victor Protasio
Developed by cocktail and spirits writer M. Carrie Allan, this flavor-rich spritz combines pear vodka, falernum liqueur, Peychaud’s bitters, sparkling wine, and club soda. Tangy, late harvest pear flavors mingle with falernum, a Caribbean liqueur mostly known as a tropical drink staple, to make for a fall to winter spritz, perfect to usher in colder weather happy hours.
Negroni Sbagliato
This riff on the classic Negroni, is a lower alcohol variation that omits the gin and features equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth, and sparkling wine. Citrusy, bittersweet, with subtle effervescence this golden hour favorite was invented in Milan in the 1960s, but has recently had a surge in popularity.
Como Spritz
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This tropical fruit-forward sparkling wine cocktail is made with Cynar amaro, tangy passion fruit syrup, fresh lemon juice, and sparkling wine. Developed by veteran bartenders Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy for their New York City bar Good Guy’s, this complex spritz balances bold flavors like passion fruit and fresh lemon juice, with slightly vegetal and bittersweet amaro. Prosecco helps to lighten and lengthen the drink.
Rome With a View
Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood
This modern classic was created in 2008 by bartender Michael McIlroy while bartending at the pioneering cocktail bar Milk & Honey in New York City. Equal parts Campari, dry vermouth, and lime juice is combined with simple syrup and a splash of soda water to create a bittersweet highball that is a nod to a classic aperitivo: the Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, club soda).
Orange Cinnamon Amaro Spritz
Eva Kolenko
This citrus-and-spice cocktail features bittersweet amaro, a cinnamon-infused simple syrup, orange and lemon juices, and club soda for a warming variation on the spritz. This drink calls for Amaro Montenegro, a sweeter-style amaro with notes of orange peel, lemon, and a touch of vanilla, the perfect base for a cooler-weather spritz.
Pineapple-Lambrusco Spritz
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Fresh pineapple juice, Campari, crème de cacao, lemon juice, raspberry liqueur, and Lambrusco come together in this rich and fruity, slightly bittersweet spritz. The effervescence in this drink comes from Lambrusco, a berry-forward red sparkling wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. The tannins in the sparkling wine combine with the bittersweet flavors of Campari to add structure to the cocktail, while the raspberry-blackberry notes in the wine play off the liqueurs.
