Perfect Aperol Spritz
This classic Aperol Spritz recipe is light, refreshing, and bubbly! We first tried this classic Italian cocktail in Venice and have loved them ever since. After trying my first Aperol Spritz in Italy several years ago, I immediately started browsing recipes to recreate it at home. This light and bubbly cocktail, made with Prosecco, Aperol, and soda water, is often served as an apéritif and enjoyed before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Also popular is the Campari Spritz, which is a bit bolder. This cocktail is perfect for warm weather and summertime sipping. Enjoy one before dinner, or pair it with lighter dishes like antipasto, bruschetta, shrimp scampi, olives, slices of focaccia, and Caprese salad. Key Ingredients Aperol: Look for Aperol next to liqueurs and bitters, like Amaro. It is a vibrant reddish-orange liqueur that tastes citrusy, herbal, and bittersweet. If you love bolder, more bittersweet cocktails, try our Campari Spritz, which uses the same ratio, but swaps Aperol for Campari. 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. Aperol: Look for Aperol next to liqueurs and bitters, like Amaro. It is a vibrant reddish-orange liqueur that tastes citrusy, herbal, and bittersweet. If you love bolder, more bittersweet cocktails, try our Campari Spritz, which uses the same ratio, but swaps Aperol for Campari. 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. Find the full recipe with measurements below. How to Make the Best Aperol Spritz Tip 1: 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. Tip 2: Adjust for bitterness preference. Aperol tastes a little bitter. If you want a less bitter drink, reduce the Aperol and increase the Prosecco. A ratio of 4 parts Prosecco, 1 part Aperol, and 1 part soda water is a good starting point. If, on the other hand, you enjoy a bolder, more bitter flavor, consider making a Campari Spritz. Campari is significantly more intense and bitter than Aperol (Adam prefers this to the Aperol Spritz). Tip 3: Make a lower-alcohol spritz. If you are looking for a refreshing, lower alcohol cocktail, you can increase the amount of soda water. A good starting point is a ratio of 2 parts Prosecco, 1 part Aperol, and 2 parts soda water. Perfect Aperol Spritz PREP 5 mins TOTAL 5 mins PREP 5 mins TOTAL 5 mins We love this classic Aperol Spritz cocktail with Aperol, Prosecco, and soda water. We first tried these in Italy and have loved them ever since. This cocktail tastes mildly bitter, with an orange and herbal sweetness. It’s light, refreshing, effervescent (bubbly), and has lower alcohol content than other cocktails. 1 cocktail Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 3 ounces (90ml) Prosecco, look for Brut (dry) Prosecco 2 ounces (60ml) Aperol 1 ounce (30ml) soda water, club soda, or sparkling water Orange slices Directions 1Fill a wine glass halfway with ice and add the Aperol. Slowly stream in the Prosecco and soda water. The cocktail should mix by itself as you pour in the Prosecco, but you can use a long spoon and gently swirl around the glass to combine. 2Slide in an orange slice and enjoy! 1Fill a wine glass halfway with ice and add the Aperol. Slowly stream in the Prosecco and soda water. The cocktail should mix by itself as you pour in the Prosecco, but you can use a long spoon and gently swirl around the glass to combine. 2Slide in an orange slice and enjoy! Adam and Joanne's Tips Prosecco: We recommend mid-range Brut or extra Brut Prosecco. Sweeter styles will make the cocktail too sweet. Soda water: Use soda water, club soda, or your favorite sparkling water. I love club soda since it has a little salt added, which I think makes this cocktail taste even better. Adjusting to your tastes: Aperol tastes bittersweet. If you find the bitterness overwhelming, reduce the Aperol slightly and increase the Prosecco. For a less boozy cocktail, reduce the Prosecco and Aperol and increase the soda water. Campari spritz: Swap Aperol for Campari, which tastes less sweet and more bitter. Here’s our Campari Spritz. 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. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Prosecco: We recommend mid-range Brut or extra Brut Prosecco. Sweeter styles will make the cocktail too sweet. Soda water: Use soda water, club soda, or your favorite sparkling water. I love club soda since it has a little salt added, which I think makes this cocktail taste even better. Adjusting to your tastes: Aperol tastes bittersweet. If you find the bitterness overwhelming, reduce the Aperol slightly and increase the Prosecco. For a less boozy cocktail, reduce the Prosecco and Aperol and increase the soda water. Campari spritz: Swap Aperol for Campari, which tastes less sweet and more bitter. Here’s our Campari Spritz. 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. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 cocktail / Calories 231 / Total Fat 0g / Saturated Fat 0g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 10.7mg / Carbohydrate 17.8g / Dietary Fiber 0g / Total Sugars 16.8g / Protein 0.1g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us