Spritz Cocktail

A Venice tradition is gathering with friends for a pre-dinner drink, called an aperitivo. This fun version of "happy hour" is accompanied by little snacks that in Venice are called "cicchetti". And here, in the Veneto region, the drink of choice is Spritz, a cocktail made from sparkling prosecco wine and either Campari or Aperol liqueur. Aperol is lighter in taste and alcohol content, while Campari is stronger flavored as well as stronger percentage of alcohol. There are variations on the Spritz, as bars like to get creative, but the most common is three parts prosecco, one part soda water and two parts liqueur. Some like to substitute orange juice for the soda. It's up to you! But the rosy-hued drink and snacks while sitting in a piazza (or your back deck!) gives you a Venetian flavor any time you want!

See our Newsletter article for a more detailed history of the now-iconic drink.

Other varieties include Limoncello Spritz, Hugo Spritz, and the new naturally-blue aperitivo mixer called Venturo Spritz. Many places have distilleries or liqueurs that make amari or aperitivo bases to be used in Spritz, so ask if you want a more local flavor!