9 Great Spritzes That Aren’t the Aperol Spritz

After a long, dark winter and roller coaster spring, it’s finally time to hit the lake, the park, the tailgate party, and pool. As Italians have known for generations, this is the perfect season for a Spritz. No, not a schvitz, though there’s going to be plenty of that.

What is the Spritz?

The spritz is a style of mixed drink first popularized in Italy, specifically in the Veneto region of Northeastern Italy that generally consists of a bitter liqueur, Prosecco sparkling wine, and club soda to dilute it. Served over ice with fresh fruit garnish, the best-known version is the Aperol Spritz. In Italy, you’ll also find a lot of sparkling Campari refreshers, particularly enjoyed before heading out for the evening.

Spritz on the Menu

While no one is saying exactly what’s in Aperol, its 11% alcohol means it makes a low alcohol cocktail perfect for responsible day drinking. But these days, bartenders are serving up all sorts of inventive variants and Aperol is not required. At Homemakers Bar in Cincinnati, you’ll find four “Spritzers” on the menu, none of which include Aperol.

Our favorite is the light and breezy As You Like It: cucumber-infused dry vermouth, sparkling wine, and seltzer. For a richer, more complex drink, consider the Rolls Royce: clarified milk punch, plum saké, fino sherry, an absinthe rinse, topped with a sparkling brut rosé. Meanwhile San Francisco’s destination restaurant Bar Sprezzatura is proving the Italians are the best at employing Campari and Aperol, but do so much more. The Ligabue cocktail, one of four spritzes, features Contratto bitter liqueur, blood orange ginger beer, and Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco frizzante wine. In a tasty twist, each of the bar’s cocktails arrives with its own snack.

“The spritz is a cocktail that begs not to be complicated,” says Colin Berger, bar manager at Rare Society in Mill Creek, Washington. “I love introducing some of my favorite digestifs to the spritz treatment.”

The plethora of new American amaros and bitter liqueurs also means the drink’s boundaries are pushed in all sorts of directions. At Seattle’s Watershed Pub and Kitchen, you can sit outside and savor the Bouquet Spritz, a floral blend of Amaro Americano, Prosecco, St Germain and tiki bitters. Pair it with their gourmet chicken-and-spinach pizza for a zesty afternoon outing. Even when bars stick with Aperol, they’re still experimenting: At Cathédral in the Moxy Hotel in the East Village, NYC, you’ll find the Salut de Copains featuring Ketel One Botanical Peach Orange, Lillet, blackberry preserves, lemon juice, and sparkling wine.

“Spritzes are great because they’re easy enough for the home bartender, but can be complex enough in flavor to land on the menus of the finest cocktail bars,” says Jessica Everett, bar manager, Esters Fair Prospect in Maui. “The trend has expanded today to include Negroni Sbagliato and even beer spritzes.”

RTD Spritzes

As with all boozy, sparkly things, you can also buy ready-to-drink versions online or on store shelves. Canteen offers three spritzes in, well, cans. The Blossom Gin is fruity and floral with a hint of hibiscus, while the Ruby Gin emphasizes grapefruit and rosemary. Or opt for bottles with the Italian-based Almare Spritz range which plays on a variety of botanicals in bottle. And for those seeking zero-alcohol versions, check out Greenbar Distillery’s Hibiscus Un-Spritz in a can, or Eva’s Spritz from the folks at For Bitter For Worse. The blend of roots and fruits—including orange peel, gentian root, rhubarb root, hibiscus and more—creates a tart-and-sweet sparkler that perfectly evokes the amaro bite of a proper spritz.

Ava Cocktail at Las Vegas’s Wynn Resort — Ava Cocktail Wynn Wellness Program

The beauty of the spritz is that, since it’s generally a low-alcohol drink, it’s easy to mimic sans booze. At The Iris in New York, you’ll find mocktail versions like the refreshing Cucumber Dill or Bianco Spritz, featuring verjus, rosemary water, Roots Divino Bianco sparkling NA wine and Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic. Or consider the Ava from Mariena Mercer, beverage director at Las Vegas’s ultra-luxe Wynn Resort. As part of the Wynn Living Well program, Mercer (who’s been crafting incredible drinks in Vegas for over a decade), the Ava is a riff on the Aperol spritz, featuring Lyre’s Italian Orange Aperitif, ginger syrup, sparkling water, and passionfruit pearls.

Interested in crafting your own elevated spritz cocktails? Whip up one of these tasty treats below, find a spot in the shade, and enjoy.

Spritz Recipes

Lil Fizzle

Mercy Me Washington DC

By Sami Katrib, Food and Beverage Director

1 oz Italicus Bergamotto

1 oz Cappelletti

.75 oz Verjus Blend

.75 oz Strained Fresh Grapefruit Juice

Prosecco to Top

In a large wine glass with ice, build ingredients, topping with prosecco. Stir lightly and garnish with a grapefruit wheel.

Piazzetta Spritz

An Australian version of the spritz

1.5 oz Portofino Dry Italian Gin

.5 Amaro Amara

.5 oz Dry Vermouth

Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add ingredients and stir well for 30 seconds. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass with a fresh ice cube, and garnish with a lemon peel / twist.

Yuzu Spritz

Katana Kitten NYC

By Masahiro Urushido, owner

1 oz Choya Umesha Plum Liqueur

1 oz Manzanilla Sherry

1/2 oz Salers Apéritif (Gentiane Bitters)

3/4 oz Yuzu Simple Syrup*

Soda Water (Chilled)

3 Slices Cucumber Asazuke (Pickled Cucumber)

In a pint glass filled with ice, build plum liqueur, sherry, Salers Apéritif, and simple syrup. Stir well. Add chilled soda water and stir gently. Garnish with three pickled cucumbers on a skewer.

Puttin’ On the Spritz

Milady’s, NYC

By Julie Reiner and Natasha Mesa

Zero-alcohol spritzes are so good, you’ll want a second and a third. And you know what? It’s totally fine if you do.

1 oz Lyre’s Italian Spritz

.5 oz Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Tequila

.5 oz Macadamia Nut Orgeat

.5 oz Fresh Orange juice

.25 oz Fresh Lemon juice

1 tsp Passion Fruit Simple Syrup

3 oz Lyre’s Classico Non-Alcoholic Prosecco

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine all ingredients, except prosecco. Shake moderately (no need to chill) and pour into a large red wine glass filled with fresh ice. Top with prosecco and stir lightly.

Uptown Spritz

Atlantic Grill, NYC

By Alex Teisanu, CEO/Director

This boozy concoction might read like the Long Island Iced Teas of spritzes, but it’s deliciously elegant and refreshing, and slightly sweet.

Uptown Spritz at the Atlantic Grill — Atlantic Grill Uptown Spritz

1.5 oz Limoncello Vivere

1.5 oz Ramazzotti Rosato

1.5 oz Pasqua Prosecco

.5 oz Cointreau

.25 oz Club Soda

Sprig Fresh Basil for garnish

1/2 Lemon Slice for garnish

Build ingredients over ice in a red wine glass, stirring lightly to blend. Garnish with basil and lemon slice or wedge.

Laura Kim’s Rosé Spritz

The co-creator and director for Oscar de la Renta. The embroidery used in her latest collection was the inspiration behind her spritz.

1 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur

2.5 oz Strawberry-Infused Rosé Wine*

2 oz Sparkling Yuzu Juice

Build ingredients over ice cubes in a wine glass or large copa, stir lightly to blend and stimulate bubbles.

*Infuse 4 cups of quartered strawberries into a bottle of rosé for three hours. Double strain to remove solids, chill

Tipsy Scoop Strawberry Sangria Spritz

There’s no reason you can’t have your ice cream and drink it too. Head on over to one of Tipsy Scoop’s NYC “Barlours” to try it out or make it at home.