The Aperol Spritz Is Your Prime Summer Cocktail

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When in doubt, do like the Italians do, right? One of Italy’s favorite cocktails, the Aperol spritz, is traditionally served in a wine glass with ice and slice of orange. It’s a combination of Prosecco, Aperol (an Italian apértif made of ingredients like bitter orange and rhubarb) and soda water. According to Campari, in the Veneto region of Italy, about 300,000 of these cocktails are consumed each day. Aperol is like a less bitter and less alcoholic Campari with a light orange-red color.

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The word “spritz” itself has German origins and means a quick spray or splash of something. Here’s a little fun fact: during the 19th century, Austrian soldiers discovered Italian wines, but they were too strong for their sensitive taste. A splash of water, known as a spritz, became a common practice to make the wines more bearable.

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During the summer months, wine, especially rosé, seems to be the drink of choice when you’re at a cafe or having brunch outside. A dry or sweet wine can be pretty dehydrating. It might be tempting to just say f*ck it and pour a bunch of ice right into your wine, but there’s an even better way to get your ice fix. An Aperol spritz is a perfect solution. Brands like Aperol and Campari help to add a little bitterness and color to the wine, while the soda water helps to hydrate you and gives the cocktail a bubbly and refreshing taste.

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Most restaurants will have this bubbly Italian wine cocktail on their drink menus, but you can also make it at home yourself. This recipe from Bon Appetit combines Aperol with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters and orange peel. But, you don’t need any fancy ingredients. This recipe by Food And Wine only calls for Aperol, Prosecco, seltzer, ice and an orange slice for a garnish.

Hope on the spritz train this summer, you won’t regret it.