Aperol Spritz
The most popular cocktail-hour drink in Venice, Italy, is undoubtedly the Aperol Spritz, and anytime you are at Ombra in Lenox, you should try one! Aperol is an Italian amaro invented in 1919 with a brilliant red hue and a balance of bitter, sweet citrus, and herbal notes. Over ice in a nice wine glass, and topped up with prosecco and an orange slice, an Aperol Spritz is refreshing and invigorating.The “Spritzer” was invented by Austrian visitors to Venice because the local wines were too strong for them, or so the story goes. Watering the wines down with soda water created a more palatable drink and the German word was adopted in the mid to late 1800s for wine mixed with soda water. In the 1950s, with the rise of the predinner drink’s popularity, the addition of Aperol to the spritzer created a more bitter and palate-awakening drink to stimulate the appetite. Swapping prosecco for soda water was a natural change, and the modern Aperol Spritz, as we now enjoy it, was created.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Aperol
- 4 ounces quality dry prosecco
- Orange slice or wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Serve in a wine glass, over ice.
Notes
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK LOADER