Aperol Spritz
“Spritz” means “splash” in German, originating in the late 19th Century when Austrian soldiers would add a splash of water to Italian wine to lighten its flavor.
Created in Florence, Italy in the early 20th Century, Aperol is bittersweet herbal liqueur that didn’t really gain prominence in the US until the 2000s even though this cocktail, the Aperol Spritz, was created in the ‘50s.
Like all spritzes, it follows the 3-2-1 parts of wine, spirits and club soda and in this case, 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part club soda. At least, that’s the official version.
Prosecco is Italian sparkling wine and I use a domestic sparkling wine instead; generally Korbel Brut, because that’s what I keep on hand. And instead of club soda, I prefer a splash of La Croix Lime. In spite of its French name, La Croix has been manufactured in Wisconsin since the 1980s, created specifically as a domestic competitor to imported Perrier which had reached a snobbish popularity in the US by that time. One ingredient I don’t fool with - other than the Aperol itself, which has no equal - is the garnish. The flavor of Aperol demands a fresh orange slice as the cocktail’s garnish, and I think this is non-negotiable.
My Number One Fan and I were introduced to the Aperol Spritz in 2018 by a bartender we had befriended at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. We were in the mood for something light and refreshing one afternoon, and Mauricio made us this cocktail. He was a cheerful soul; the perfect personality for a bartender, and quite proud of himself for introducing this cocktail to us. We were instantly fans of the aperitif and a bottle of Aperol immediately went on our liquor store shopping list. Sadly, we learned on a subsequent visit to Vegas that Mauricio had passed away from a rare form of sarcoma.
In 2023, the bar at which Mauricio worked also passed into history, when the Mirage closed its doors to make way for the building of the Hard Rock hotel. That’s Vegas for you; always reinventing itself. The Mirage replaced the Castaways Hotel & Casino in 1987, and the Castaways had replaced the Red Rooster Nite Club in 1963. It’ll be interesting to see how Vegas tops the giant guitar tower of the Hard Rock whenever its time comes for an implosion, say in 2060 or so?
Today, we cannot have an Aperol Spritz that we don’t think of Mauricio. Cheers to you, good buddy. May you rest in peace.
Aperol Spritz
Ingredients
- 3 oz extra dry or Brut sparkling wine (like, Korbel Brut)
- 2 oz Aperol Aperitivo
- 1 oz La Croix Lime sparkling water
- 1 large orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a red wine glass with hard ice.
- Pour in 2 oz of Aperol.
- Add 3 oz cold sparkling wine.
- Stir slightly.
- Top off with 1 oz La Croix.
- Garnish with orange slice.
Notes
- The term "hard ice" is an old bartender term from the days when a mixologist would use an ice pick on a large block of ice to pick off large chunks of ice to make a cocktail. Today, the term "hard ice" is to distinguish it from "crushed ice" or "shaved ice."
