While in Venice in March of this year, we discovered a refreshing warm weather aperitif: the Spritz Aperol. (A true Venetian bargain too… we found them as cheap as 1 euro 50 at a nameless cafe on the Campo Bander e Moro.) Though it is now made by the same company that makes the venerable Italian aperitif Campari, it has not received the marketing push, and is somewhat harder to find, but well worth seeking out. It’s an orange based liqueur, lower in alcohol than Campari, and sweeter. Making the Spritz Aperol is easy, but as every bar in Venice seems to have its own recipe, its worth experimenting to find the proportions that suit your taste. Our favorite recipe is as follows:
Fill a white wine or highball glass with ice, add one ounce of Aperol, fill the glass 2/3 full with either white wine (Pinot Grigio is a classic choice) or prosecco, and top with a splash of sparkling water. If you wish, you can garnish the drink with either an orange slice or green olives. Delicious.
Agreed 100%! I can’t understand how/why a drink like this can have escaped the attention of the rest of the world. Just visited Venice in November and found this new idea. I, as it happens, have enjoyed Campari since finding it in Rome many years ago. But this Aperol now has its place in my drinks cabinet!