Aperol Spritz Recipe - Celebrating Sweets (2024)

FAQs

What is the sweet version of Aperol Spritz? ›

St-Germain Spritz

If you're a fan of refreshing, low-alcohol drinks like the ever-popular Aperol spritz, you're going to love this sweet and floral co*cktail. Get the St-Germain Spritz recipe.

Fever-Tree's soda-like bubbles and slightly acidic flavor makes it the best club soda for Aperol Spritz lovers. The bubbles will mimic and complement the bubbles from the Prosecco, and the bright but not overpowering acidity will brighten the zesty, bittersweet Aperol even more.

The wine expert's advice

According to Zanon, the Prosecco to use for the Spritz is undoubtedly a Prosecco Superiore Extra-dry. Slightly sweet, it is characterized by its fresh and versatile taste and fruity and floral scents that perfectly match the bittersweet taste of Aperol.

Making the perfect Aperol Spritz is as easy as 3-2-1 – our official ratio is 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, and 1 part soda water. If you're looking for precise measurements for your Aperol Spritz, that's 75 mL prosecco, 50 mL Aperol, and 25 mL soda.

Aperol is sweeter than Campari and has around 11 percent ABV level. The biggest difference may be how they're used. Aperol is used to complement other flavors in co*cktails and mixed drinks because it doesn't have a high alcohol level. Campari has a higher alcohol content and more flavor.

“Aperol is a great beginner Italian bitter as it is sweeter, and not quite as bitter as Campari.” Plus, its comparatively lower ABV allows the fruitiness to shine, at just 11% ABV, Aperol is a perfect fit for all-day sipping.

If you typically find Aperol Spritzes to be too sweet, try a Campari Spritz instead. Campari, which is also an Italian aperitif, is more bitter than Aperol, and has a significantly higher alcohol content as well. The result is a more intense drink that will give you a pleasant buzz.

Does Aperol Spritz use club soda? Yes. We recommend a premium club soda. Although this can be replaced with sparkling water if you don't have any soda.

Prosecco is an inexpensive Italian sparkling wine similar to Spanish Cava or French Champagne. I recommend choosing a dry (brut) Prosecco so you drink doesn't turn out too syrupy or sweet. Good choices range from 12 to 18 dollars.

What cheese goes with Aperol Spritz? ›

Start with a selection of your favourite Italian cheeses. An assortment of mozzarella, pecorino, and perhaps a dollop of creamy gorgonzola will do the trick. The rich, creamy textures and flavors of the cheese are a heavenly match for the citrusy notes of the Spritz.

A typical-strength 125ml glass of prosecco has around 1.5 units of alcohol. So, over a week, drinking more than a bottle and a half of prosecco in total would put you above the UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMO) low risk drinking guidelines, of drinking less than 14 units a week.

You should always add the soda water first. Because this drink isn't mixed ― mixing would flatten it ― you'll taste the fizz and flavor of prosecco, and then when the Aperol hits your palate, it's through the soda water and prosecco, which lessens the Aperol's bitterness.

Brut, Extra Dry, Dry and Demi-Sec: To speak in broad strokes, a lot of prosecco is a little on the sweet side. Choose “Brut” or “Extra Dry” for the Spritz, since Aperol contains a lot of sugar. It doesn't take much to throw it off balance.

The St-Germain co*cktail employs a similar strategy as the Aperol Spritz. Both pair a low-ABV liqueur with sparkling wine and club soda for ultimate refreshment. But the Aperol Spritz chooses Italian-made prosecco, while the St-Germain co*cktail often features Champagne for an extra French flair.

Aperol is on the sweeter, less bitter side, with Cappelletti in the middle, and Campari on the dry, bitter, and also slightly more alcoholic side. All of them have similar citrus (orange and grapefruit) flavors, paired with bitter herbs and maybe even a little rhubarb, especially in Aperol's case.

Although this aperitif is French instead of Italian, Lillet also makes an excellent, complex Spritz. It isn't as extremely flavored as Aperol (existing somewhere in the middle of bitter and sweet), but it comes in Blanc (white), Rosé, and Rouge (red) options, so you have even more customization potential.