In northern Italy there is a strong tradition of aperitivo. The custom of having a bitter or acidic Italian drink to whet the appetite and prepare the palate for dinner dates back well over a century. The more modern incarnation of this tradition has an array of light appetizers accompanying the Italian cocktail. And currently the nearly ubiquitous drink of choice is the Aperol Spritz.

Aperol Cocktails

The Aperol Spritz has been around since the fifties but really took off when Aperol was acquired by rival liqueur company Campari in 2003. Campari featured the Spritz in a marketing campaign that greatly increased the popularity of the drink.

How to make a Spritz Cocktail

The cocktail itself is very simple. Part of the marketing campaign included the recipe, 3,2,1. Three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, and one splash of soda. The drink is a perfect balance of citrus, bitter, sweet, acid, bubbly freshness!

Aperol and other Italian Liqueurs

Aperol is only one of the bitter liqueurs popular in northern Italy. The liqueurs are made by infusing a spirit with different botanicals such as citrus, spices, herbs, and roots. Some of the popular brands include Aperol, Campari, Luxardo Bitter, Select Aperitivo, Contratto Bitter, Cynar.

Aperol and those with “Aperitivo” in their names are usually a little sweeter, less bitter, and tending toward orange in color. Campari and those labeled Bitter have more of a bite to them and are deep red in color. Cynar uses artichokes in its recipe!

Spritz Variations

Like anything this good and simple, there are many variations. Just using any of the above liqueurs and keeping to the 3,2,1 ratio gives you tons of choices. Another favorite during aperitivo in Italy is a Negroni Sbagliato. A Negroni is equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. A Negroni Sbagliato substitutes prosecco for the gin.

The Euro Travel Coach (ETC) House Cocktail is a Campari Spritz. We love the more bitter taste and dark red color of Campari. We also like to use Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine made in the Traditional Method like Champagne. This is our go to aperitivo!

The ETC House Campari Spritz Cocktail

3 parts Cava

2 parts Campari

1 splash of soda water

1 orange slice

Fill a nice wine glass about half full of ice.  Pour in the Cava until just under half full. Add enough Campari to fill half the empty space on top. Splash with a little soda and garnish with the orange slice. It is the perfect pre dinner cocktail and truth be told, we drink them year round!

Note: we like to keep our Campari in the freezer.

Do you have a favorite “house cocktail”? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you!

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Greg Ball – Greg is co-founder and partner of Euro Travel Coach (ETC), which crafts custom European vacations for independent travelers and leads small group tours to Europe. In his previous life he taught Woodwinds and Jazz at the university level for 30 years. As a professor he took his bands to Italy, Ireland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and England. Since “retiring” in 2017, he and his wife/ETC co-founder Betsy have been traveling through Europe for up to nine months of the year. Together they have visited over 40 countries and counting! He loves cooking, hiking, listening to and playing music, and wine. Greg holds a Level 3 certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.