IBA official cocktail | |
---|---|
Type | Wine cocktail |
Base spirit | |
Served | On the rocks: poured over ice |
Standard garnish | Slice of Orange |
Standard drinkware | Wine glass (white) |
IBA specified ingredients† | |
Preparation | Build all ingredients into a wine glass filled with ice. Stir gently. |
[1] † Spritz recipe at International Bartenders Association |
A spritz is an Italian wine-based cocktail, commonly served as an apéritif across Italy. It consists of Prosecco, digestive bitters and soda water. The original spritz veneziano (Italian: [ˈspritsvenetˈtsjaːno] ) uses Select as bitters and was created in Venice in 1920. [2] Popular variants are spritz al Campari, which uses Campari, and Aperol spritz, which uses Aperol as bitters. [3]
Since 2011, spritz is an IBA official cocktail, initially listed as "spritz veneziano" then simply as "spritz". [1] [4] The spritz became widely popular outside of Italy in the 2010s and Aperol spritz was ranked as the world's ninth bestselling cocktail in 2019 by the website Drinks International. [5] [6]
Spritz was created during the period of the Habsburg domination in Veneto in the 1800s, under the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. The soldiers, but also the various merchants, diplomats and employees of the Habsburg Empire in Veneto became quickly accustomed to drinking local wine in the taverns, but they were not familiar with the wide variety of wines from the Veneto, and the alcohol content was higher than they were accustomed to. [7] The newcomers started to ask the local hosts to spray (German : spritzen) a drop of water into the wine to make the wines lighter; the real original spritz was composed of sparkling white wine or red wine diluted with fresh water. [8]
Between the 1920s and 1930s, in Venice or in Padua, spritz was combined with local bitters (typically drunk with soda and ice). Aperol was born in Padua in 1919 and Select in Venice in 1920. [4] The original recipe has supposedly remained unchanged over time, but it was not until the 1970s that the modern spritz recipe was set, with Prosecco instead of still wine. [9] Over the years the drink has "grown up" with a variety of possible additions, such as a sort of liquor or a bitter as the China Martini or Cynar with a lemon peel inside. [10]
Generally, the drink is prepared with Prosecco wine, bitter liqueur such as Aperol, Campari, Cynar, or, especially in Venice, Aperitivo Select, [11] [12] then the glass is topped off with a dash of sparkling mineral water (more commonly club soda). It is usually served with ice in a wine or rocks glass and garnished with a slice of orange, or sometimes an olive, depending on the liqueur. [13] [14]
Original venetian spritz includes: [15] [2]
Spritz includes: [16] [17] [18] [19]
IBA's official recipe includes: [1]
There is no single composition for a spritz, and it is prepared with different ingredients in different towns and cities, meaning that the alcohol content is highly variable. A common denominator is the presence of sparkling white wine and water, with the remaining being made up from a great variety of alcoholic drinks, sometimes mixed, but with an unwritten rule to preserve the red/orange color of the cocktail. Finally, a slice of lemon, orange or an olive and a few ice cubes are added. [20]
A spritzer is a tall, chilled drink, usually made with white wine and carbonated water or sparkling mineral water. Fermented simple syrup can be used instead of white wine to keep it sweet but flavor neutral.
A bitters is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now are sold as digestifs, sometimes with herbal properties, and as cocktail flavorings.
The negroni is a cocktail, made of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso, and Campari, generally served on the rocks, and commonly garnished with an orange slice or orange peel. It is considered an apéritif.
Apéritifs and digestifs are drinks, typically alcoholic, that are normally served before (apéritif) or after (digestif) a meal respectively.
Campari is an Italian alcoholic liqueur, considered an apéritif, of the amaro variety, obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit in alcohol and water. It is a type of bitters, characterised by its dark red colour. It is produced by the Davide Campari Group, a multinational company based in Italy.
Prosecco is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco, in the province of Trieste, Italy. It is made from the Prosecco grape, but denomination rules allow up to 15% of the wine to be other permitted varieties. Prosecco is almost always made in sparkling or semi-sparkling style, but a still wine is also permitted. Within the larger designation are two small DOCG areas, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco in the hills between the comuni (municipalities) of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and Asolo Prosecco around the nearby comune of Asolo. Prosecco Superiore is always spumante and comes only from these DOCG areas.
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in southern Italy, especially in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily. It is the second-most popular liqueur in Italy and is traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestif. It is also a popular homemade liqueur, with various recipes available online and in print.
Cynar is an Italian bitter apéritif of the amaro variety. It is made from 13 herbs and plants, predominant among which is the artichoke, from which the drink derives its name. Cynar is dark brown, has a bittersweet flavor, and its strength is 16.5% alc/vol. It was launched in Italy in 1952. A version with 35% ABV, called Cynar 70 Proof, became available in the 2010s.
Aperol is an Italian bitter apéritif made with gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona, among other ingredients. It has a vibrant orange hue. Its name comes from apero, a French slang word for 'apéritif'.
A Bellini is a cocktail made with Prosecco and peach purée or nectar. It originated in Venice, Italy.
The Americano is an IBA official cocktail composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, and for the sparkling version, club soda and garnished with a slice of lemon.
Davide Campari-Milano N.V., trading as Campari Group, is an Italian company active since 1860 in the branded beverage industry. It produces spirits, wines, and non-alcoholic apéritifs. From its signature product, Campari, its portfolio has been extended to include over 50 brands, including Aperol, Appleton, Cinzano, SKYY vodka, Espolón, Wild Turkey, Grand Marnier, and Forty Creek whisky.
A wine cocktail is a mixed drink, similar to a true cocktail. It is made predominantly with wine, into which distilled alcohol or other drink mixer is combined. A spritz is a drink that has Prosecco added to it.
Pirlo is an alcoholic drink, usually served as an apéritif, historically originated in the province of Brescia, in the North of Italy. It is made with still white wine and Campari. Pirlo is served in a long stem glass with a typical balloon shape. It is the typical and traditional apéritif of the province of Brescia.
Gran Classico Bitter is an alcoholic apéritif/digestif created following the "Italian Bitter of Turin" recipe dating from the 1860s. This recipe, which was originally produced under the name Torino Gran Classico, had been purchased in 1925 from a Turin-based distillery by the small Swiss distillery E. Luginbühl, located near Bern.
A whiskey cocktail is a cocktail that includes whiskey. Although whiskey is often served neat or on the rocks, it is used in many classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and Julep. Some specifically call for Scotch whisky or bourbon whiskey.
Select is an Italian apéritif, created in 1920 in Venice by the distillery "Fratelli Pilla & C." and currently produced by Gruppo Montenegro S.r.l. Select is commonly served in Venice with prosecco and soda water as the Original Venetian Spritz.
Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto is a bergamot rosolio manufactured in Italy. The liqueur uses bergamot from Calabria and citrons from Sicily, along with Italian flower varieties. Italicus was created by an Italian bartender, Giuseppe Gallo, using a family recipe. He launched the spirit commercially in September 2016.
Media related to Spritz at Wikimedia Commons