I may be overdoing it with the spritzer recipes this summer (here are recipes for vermouth and sake versions) but I realized FineCooking.com was woefully lacking in the recipe for one of Europe's most popular summer drinks: The Aperol Spritz. In many bars, customers just ask for a "spritz" and bartenders know which one they're talking about.
The drink is quite simple, made with the slightly bitter orange and rhubarb liqueur Aperol, sparkling wine (prosecco if you want to be true to the drink's Italian roots), and a splash of soda water. Just pour that over ice and you've got a cosmopolitan drink that's also dressed for the beach.
The drink is quite low in alcohol (as Aperol is just 22 proof, about one-quarter that of vodka and other spirits) and with lots of ice in the cocktail, you can sip them all day feeling tres chic but not too tipsy.
Aperol Spritz
3 Parts Prosecco
2 Parts Aperol
1 Part Sparkling Water
Orange Slice for Garnish
Add liquid ingredients to an ice filled glass. Give a quick stir and garnish with an orange slice.
