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Home Recipes by Type Beverages Cocktails

Aperol Spritz (how to make the best Aperol spritz!)

5
/5
3 mins
7 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 05/21/2021Updated: 06/28/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

An orange drink in a wine glass, with a text overlay that reads "the best aperol spritz."
An orange drink in a wine glass, with a text overlay that reads "the best aperol spritz."
Two images of orange drinks, with a text overlay that reads "aperol spritz - summer drink perfection!"
Two images of orange drinks, with a text overlay that reads "the best aperol spritz."

Refreshing and light, an Aperol spritz is a brilliantly colored sparkling cocktail. Festive and easy to make!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: An easy-to-make and easy-to-drink cocktail!

How long it takes: 3 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: none
Servings: 2 (and it’s really easy to make more!)

Three wine glasses filled with an orange drink and orange slices.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About this recipe
  • 3 What you need
  • 4 FAQs
  • 5 How to make this cocktail your own
  • 6 Make-Ahead Ideas
  • 7 More summer sips
  • 8 Get the Recipe: Aperol Spritz Recipe

With just three simple ingredients, and embellished with juicy orange slices, an Aperol spritz is a really great little cocktail. It’s not too sweet, it’s bubbly, refreshing, and quite low in calories, only 227 calories per serving.

If you’ve visited Italy, you may have tried a “spritz”. Apparently, it’s very popular there and why not? It’s a refreshing light sipper, perfect for a warm summer evening. I think it’s about to become very popular on my deck this summer.

Looking for a nibbler to serve with your spritz? How about easy tomato bruschetta, a fresh tomato tart with herbed ricotta, or bacon and mushroom flatbread with shaved asparagus?  Rosemary roasted almonds or sweet and spicy candied bourbon pecans are always a hit, too. Everyone loves fresh bread with olive oil dipping sauce (and it’s so easy to make!).

About this recipe

3-2-1! That’s all you have to remember. Each drink consists of three parts, two parts, one part. Making two drinks? Just start multiplying the parts by two. Making three drinks? Multiply by three. Making a pitcher? Multiply by however many servings you can fit inside your pitcher.

An aperol spritz on ice, garnished with orange peels cut into the shape of stars.

Pour the three ingredients over rocks in the order given, 3-2-1, for a beautiful sparkling cocktail. Don’t shake or stir it because you’ll lose the bubbles. So easy and so good! The complete printable recipe is on the recipe card at the end of the post.

Aperol being poured into a wine glass with ice.

What you need

  • Prosecco (3 parts) – Prosecco is a sparkling Italian wine. We like prosecco because it’s typically not too sweet, and also not too expensive, but you could also use French champagne or Spanish cava.
  • Aperol (2 parts) – Aperol is an orange-colored Italian bitter apéritif.
  • Soda (1 part) – Club soda, seltzer, or sparkling water, will all work. It’s your choice!
  • Orange slices – These are technically an optional garnish, but I love the way they look and the taste they add.
  • Ice – This cocktail is served on the rocks, so make sure you have plenty of ice made.
Ingredients needed for recipe: aperol, prosecco, and soda.

FAQs

What kind of alcohol is Aperol? 

Aperol was created as an apéritif type of drink, something you sip on before dinner to stimulate your appetite. Two brothers in Italy worked together seven years before introducing the drink in 1919. The recipe remains a secret but reportedly it contains bitter oranges, rhubarb, herbs, and spices. In contrast to Campari, a bitter red apéritif also from Italy, Aperol has half the alcohol content, only 11%, making it a lighter choice.

What’s the best kind of glass for an Aperol spritz?

Serve this cocktail in large stemmed glasses to beautifully display the vibrant orange hue which is intensified with fresh orange slices. A stemless wineglass is lovely, too.

Thre glasses of aperol spritz, with the ingredients need to make it in the background.

How to make this cocktail your own

  • Use Sprite instead of soda, for a sweeter flavor. Use diet soda or Sprite to cut calories, if desired.
  • A dry prosecco (less residual sugar) will make a spritz that will taste less sweet. Chose a prosecco (or sparkling wine) that you would normally drink.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Cut orange slices for the garnish and make sure you have plenty of fresh ice on hand. This cocktail takes about three minutes to make. If you make it ahead, it will go flat.

Overhead view of orange-colored drinks over ice, orange slices scattered around.

More summer sips

Looking for a lighter cocktail? Try:

  • Raspberry Rosé Spritzer
  • Bay Breeze — a refreshing cocktail with cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and vodka
  • Frosé Recipe, the best frozen Rosé
  • Watermelon Lemonade with Mint (with Cocktail option!)
  • Vodka Lemonade
  • Classic Gin and Tonic Recipe with tips to make the best!
  • Orange Mojito — refreshing and delicious!
  • Strawberry Watermelon Slushie Spritzer

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

An light orange aperol spritz in a wine glass garnished with orange peel cut into the shape of a star.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Aperol Spritz Recipe

5 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 3 mins
Total Time: 3 mins
2 cocktails
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Refreshing and light, an Aperol spritz is a brilliantly colored sparkling cocktail. Festive and easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces prosecco
  • 4 ounces Aperol
  • 2 ounces soda (sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer)
  • Ice cubes
  • Orange slices for garnish

Instructions

  • Fill both glasses with ice cubes.
  • Add 3 oz. of prosecco to each glass (around half full).
  • Add 2 oz. of Aperol to each glass and top with soda (about 1 oz.).
  • Garnish with orange slices and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Pouring the prosecco first gives the cocktail a very nice bold orange. Don’t stir the cocktail because it will reduce the carbonation (fizziness).
  • The recipe can be easily increased. Just keep the ratio of 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, and 1 part soda.
  • For a sweeter cocktail, use Sprite instead of soda.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cocktail, Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Sodium: 7mg, Sugar: 25g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
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  1. Ms.Vee says

    December 11, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    5 stars
    very good and on point completely from start to finish…

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 13, 2021 at 11:33 am

      Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Lex says

    May 26, 2021 at 12:47 am

    Could you suggest a good replacement for oranges? I am allergic and just can’t figure out what another good fruit to add would be. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 31, 2021 at 10:56 am

      You could just leave them out or use a lemon slice. :)

      Reply
  3. Debs says

    May 21, 2021 at 11:28 am

    I added a good splash of bourbon to this classic Italian drink. Great summertime flavour!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 23, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      Oooooh yummy

      Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 23, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      Ooooh yummy! I can’t wait to try that!

      Reply

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