How to make a spritz according to a expert

Follow the ultimate guide on how to make the best spritz for the summer

If you’re looking for the best tips and tricks on how to make a killer summer spritz, look no further. Follow our easy step-by-step tutorial and learn how to make the perfect summer spritz – from the key ingredients to the best techniques to our expert’s top tips and tricks, nail your cocktail master skills for a summer to remember with the best spritz recipe. Ready to turn up the fizz to your summer?

🔽 Follow the guide by our cocktail expert Antonio at the Aperol Spritzeria Terrazza at Eataly.

How to make a spritz?

‘A spritz is a wine-based drink served in a glass full of ice’ says Antonio.

The key ingredients are simple: ‘Start with 75 ml of prosecco, 50 ml of aperitif liqueur, and 25 ml of soda or sparkling water, and serve with a garnish. In the case of an Aperol Spritz, top it up with a slice of orange!’.

What’s in a summer spritz?

75ml prosecco
50ml aperitif liqueur
25ml soda water
Ice
Orange

Top tips: Use your hand! The easiest way to have a balanced drink is to put your hand on the side of the glass, and measure with your fingers using the 3-2-1 rule:

3 fingers of prosecco
2 fingers of aperitif liqueur
1 finger of soda or sparkling water

Here’s how to nail your summer cocktail in a few easy steps.

Step 1: Pick your glass and bring the ice

‘A spritz is usually always built in a wine glass, it’s the best shape for this drink’ says Antonio. ‘The glass should be full of ice, it’s really important, the more ice there is the less the drink will melt.’

Top tips: Always start with ice first for chilling the glass, this will help to have the perfect freshness and a harmonious blend of ingredients.

Units: full glass

019a8940-image-credit-zodeemedia — Antonio, cocktail expert at the Aperol Spritzeria Terrazza at Eataly. Credit: Terrazza

Step 2: Add prosecco

‘Prosecco is the first ingredient that goes after the ice, then liqueur and soda’ Antonio explains.

‘Thanks to the differences in density, the liqueur will go down and mix with prosecco and preserve the bubbles (the most important part of a fizzy drink)’.

Top tips: It’s always better to use extra-dry prosecco, but you can use any sparkling wine with similar notes.

Units: 75 ml

Step 3: Add an aperitif liqueur

‘To make a summer spritz, you can use Aperol, Campari, Select or even Cynar. In Italy, it’s all about the Cynar! It’s one of the most popular liqueurs that gets its bitterness from the leaves of an artichoke’ our expert says.

Top tips: For the non-alcoholic version, you can make a virgin spritz mocktail by using syrup, shrub, or cordial instead of liqueur.

Units: 50 ml

019a8951-image-credit-zodeemedia — Blending is an important part of the process of making a spritz. Credit: Terrazza

Step 4: Add soda water

‘The spritz always has to be finished with sparkling or soda water, to give the fizzy kick to the drink’ says Antonio. ‘Never use tonic water!’ he warns, ‘it contains quinine which makes tonic water bitter. The spritz is already bitter and this can impact the flavour balance of the drink.’

Top tips: A slice of orange is the perfect garnish for an Aperol or Campari spritz, but you can also get creative and use rosemary, lemon zest, mint, lime, grapefruit or even edible flowers.

Units: 25 ml

What to eat with a summer spritz?

‘A spritz helps stimulate the appetite, it gets you prepared for all the tasty food you are about to eat’ says Antonio, ‘pair your spritz with an aperitivo-style dish.

If I had to pick one it would be the Diavola pizza. I am originally from Calabria, famous for the spicier Italian dishes, so anything spicy would be my first choice. It’s one of our best pizzas at Eataly.’

Plates made for sharing are great options – from antipasti of bruschetta, burrata, crispy arancini and fried mozzarella, tuck into ham cheese and veggies boards and gather your crew for paddles of Roman-style pizza and sharing padellata of freshly-made pasta.

Explore the menu

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The bar at Terrazza Eataly — Gather friends and family for a bottomless brunch at Terrazza at Eataly. Credit: Terrazza

Bottomless brunch at Terrazza

Every Saturday and Sunday, enjoy 90 minutes of free-flowing prosecco or Aperol Spritz with an Italian main course of pizza or pasta dishes, PLUS antipasti to share, for £45.

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Get to know your spritz

And nail your next pub quiz.

What’s a spritz? You may wonder…

A spritz is a popular Italian cocktail often enjoyed as an aperitif across Italy. Made with prosecco, digestive bitters, and soda water, the original spritz veneziano was created in Venice in 1920. Ideal for social gatherings or evenings, the spritz offers a refreshing mix of bitter and herbal notes, making it a popular choice for those looking to experience a classic Italian aperitivo.

How to make an Aperol Spritz?

Grab a large wine glass, add a handful of ice, 3 parts of prosecco (75ml), 2 parts of Aperol (50ml), 1 part of soda water (25ml, just a splash), and garnish with an orange wedge.

Where does the spritz come from?

The origins of the spritz trace back to the 1800s in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy under the Austro-Hungarian empire at that time. It is believed that soldiers from other parts of the empire found Italian wines too potent, leading them to dilute them with a “spritz” (in German) of water, giving rise to what we now know as the spritz.

What does Aperol Spritz taste like?

The signature flavour of the Aperol Spritz is a blend of sweetness, citrus notes, and a hint of sugar, balanced with a touch of bitterness. Thanks to the prosecco, the spritz also offers a dry profile, making it a refreshing and well-rounded choice with a bit of complexity.

What are the most common variations of an Aperol Spritz?

The most common versions of an Aperol Spritz are the Campari Spritz, the Hugo Spritz, and the Limoncello Spritz.

What is a Manchester spritz?

A Manchester spritz is a cocktail that combines a blend of gin, Aperol or a similar bitter liqueur, prosecco or another sparkling wine and freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice.

How to make a Hugo spritz?

The Hugo spritz is another variant which blends prosecco, elderflower liqueur, seltzer, lime, and mint.

How to make limoncello spritz?

Another twist on the classic spritz, the limoncello spritz combines prosecco, limoncello, a splash of soda water and a touch of fresh lemon or mint garnish.

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How to make the perfect summer spritz according to an expert