Virgin Spritz Recipe: The Aperitivo Without Alcohol

Ingredients

2 oz alcohol-free bitter aperitif orange-red style
3 oz alcohol-free sparkling wine dry
1 oz soda water

Garnish: Orange slice · Ice: Ice cubes

Method

Fill a large wine glass to the top with ice cubes.
Pour in the alcohol-free sparkling wine first.
Add the bitter aperitif, then top with the soda water.
Stir once gently from the bottom and garnish with an orange slice.

Watch it made

Virgin Spritz

Taste

Bittersweet orange and herbs, lifted by dry bubbles and cold soda. Light, fresh and pleasantly bitter on the finish.

History and origin

The Spritz has its roots in the Veneto. A popular story tells that soldiers and officials of the Austrian empire, which ruled the region in the 19th century, found the local wines too strong and asked for a spritz of water in them, from the German word spritzen. Later, bitter aperitifs such as Aperol, Campari or Select joined the mix, and the modern 3, 2, 1 formula of Prosecco, bitter and soda spread from Venice across Europe.

The alcohol-free Spritz is a recent development. Over the last years several producers have launched bitter aperitifs without alcohol, and together with dry alcohol-free sparkling wines they finally made a convincing version possible.

Bartender tips

Pour the sparkling wine before the aperitif: the dense bitter sinks and mixes on its own, so you barely need to stir.
Use lots of ice. Too few cubes melt quickly and water the drink down.
If your alcohol-free aperitif is on the sweet side, add a squeeze of fresh orange or a few drops of lemon.

Variations

Virgin Hugo: Swap the bitter aperitif for elderflower syrup and add mint and lime.
Bitter Soda (twist): Skip the sparkling wine and top the aperitif with 120 ml soda water for a drier, lighter drink.