Drinks
The House Spritz
Three parts, no measuring, built in the glass. What I hand people while I finish cooking.
Prep
2 min
Cook
0 min
Serves
1
Level
Easy
Ingredients
90ml — prosecco (dry, and cold)
60ml — bitter aperitivo
30ml — soda water
1 — thick slice of orange
ice, filled to the top
This is the drink I make most and think about least. It is built in the glass, it needs no shaker, and it is impossible to get badly wrong.
The point of a spritz is that it is low enough in alcohol to have two of before dinner without losing the evening.
Method
Fill a large wine glass completely with ice. Half-filling it means the drink warms and dilutes faster, which is the opposite of the intention.
Pour the prosecco first, then the aperitivo. In that order — the wine going in second knocks the bubbles out.
Top with a splash of soda.
Stir once, gently, with the orange slice, then leave it in.
A note
Swap the aperitivo for something more bitter as the evening gets later. Nobody has ever objected.
Good to know
More About This Recipe
Nutrition
Calories
150 kcal
Protein
0g
Carbs
10g
Fat
0g
Tips & tricks
Ice first, then liquid, always filled fully to the top — a half-filled glass warms and waters down twice as fast.
Pour the prosecco before the aperitivo, not after — wine poured on top of the bitter knocks the bubbles flat.
Use a wine glass, not a rocks glass. The surface area keeps it cold longer and gives the bubbles somewhere to go.
Substitutions
Bitter aperitivo
A dry vermouth for something less sweet, or a non-alcoholic bitter aperitivo for the same profile without the alcohol.
Prosecco
Any dry sparkling wine — cava works fine, just skip anything sweet.
Pairs well with
The classic pairing for a reason — bitter and bubbly against tomato and salt.
Storage & leftovers
Doesn't keep — the bubbles are half the drink and they're gone within twenty minutes. Build a fresh one rather than topping up an old glass.
Questions people ask
What's a good bitter aperitivo if I don't want anything too intense?
Can I make a non-alcoholic version?
Why does mine taste flat?
Postcards from my kitchen
Made this one?
Tell me how it went, or what you did differently. The best changes to these recipes have come from readers.