Spritz

Credit: public domain

This popular Italian cocktail does not really need a presentation. It is super-easy to prepare: do not listen to amateurs, or self-important bartenders, who tell you that only an exact proportion of carefully chosen ingredients will make a perfect Spritz. A Spritz is always perfect. The real purpose of a Spritz is to make you want to drink another immediately after you finished it, and then another, and another, until the dinner arrives or you decide that you do not need to have dinner after all. This exercise is what the Milanese call “aperocena” (aperitif-dinner), which occasionally involves some sort of cheap food that you eat just to keep your stomach busy while you are drinking Spritz. Later, the New York Times will have a very bad opinion of you, speaking of self-important.

What you need:

• a big wine glass — but the only important word here is “big”
• 4–5 ice cubes — but insert your own preference for how cold your cocktail should be
• Prosecco — but do not be ashamed of using Spumante, if it is what you have; any dry sparkling wine is actually acceptable, including Champagne, if there are no French friends around (they will get offended that you use it in a cocktail)
• Aperol — but any bitter red liquor will do; Bitter Campari and Select are common variants; Martini: why not? but be ready to convince friends that a Spritz that is not red is still a Spritz; no matter how hard you try, they will remain skeptical
• seltzer — but if you do not have a siphon, feel free to use club soda, tonic water or even the Italian “gazzosa”
• a slice of orange — but nobody has ever died for putting a slice of lemon, lime, clementine, or any other citrus fruit in a Spritz

The only mistake you can make is to pour Aperol first. It is heavy and will stick to the bottom of the glass after you pour Prosecco, unless you stir furiously, which in turn spoils the drink by making it less fizzy. So:

• ice first
• then 3 parts of Prosecco or equivalent
• then 2 parts of Aperol or equivalent
• then 1 part of seltzer or equivalent
• stir gently
• then put the slice of the orange or equivalent in a vertical position between the ice cubes (or however you want, it will not stay there for long in any case)
• enjoy with friends