Beyond Aperol: The 5 Best Spritz Cocktail Variations to Drink This Summer

This article is a part of Classic Summer Drinks Week, a week of content celebrating the arrival of summer. With its tank-top weather and long days, Summer can be one of the best seasons of the year. However, the scorching heat can make it tough to spend your days outside — even if you want to bathe in the sunlight before the cooler months confine you to the indoors. A refreshing, ice-cold drink can be of great assistance when it comes to bearing the sun rays. That’s why, from July 7–11, we’re celebrating Classic Summer Drinks Week with a series of recipes, recommendations, tips & tricks to help you beat the heat. Check out more Classic Summer Drinks Week content here!

Few drinks feel more effortlessly festive than a spritz. It’s low-ABV, unapologetically pretty and endlessly riffable. While Aperol may have sparked the modern-day craze, bartenders and home mixologists alike have been reaching for amari, liqueurs and infusions that take the format in exciting new directions. The cocktail of summer has infinite variations, from bitter to herbal, fruity to floral. Let’s look at a few of the favorites spritz cocktail variations.

Spritz 101: The Basic Ratio

The classic spritz follows a simple 3-2-1 formula:

• 3 parts sparkling wine (typically Prosecco)
• 2 parts bitter liqueur (like Aperol or another aperitif)
• 1 part soda water

Pour it over plenty of ice in a wine glass or large rocks glass, then garnish generously. This ratio is flexible, so feel free to adjust based on your personal taste — less sweet, more bitter or extra bubbly.

Basic Directions

Build over ice and garnishes in a large wine glass. Stir gently and serve immediately.

The Hugo Spritz (A.K.A the St. Germain Spritz)

Light, floral and barely sweet, this is a brunch favorite that drinks like sunshine. For extra flair, freeze edible flowers into your ice cubes.

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Ingredients

• 1 oz elderflower liqueur (St.Germain recommended)
• 3 oz Prosecco (try Martini & Rossi Prosecco)
• 1 oz soda water
• Garnish: fresh mint sprigs and lime slices

Limoncello Spritz

This sunny-day spritz is like a vacation to the Amalfi Coast in a glass. Use a high-quality limoncello and dry Prosecco to keep it from getting too saccharine.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz limoncello (Luxardo Limoncello recommended)
• 3 oz prosecco (try Martini & Rossi Prosecco)
• 1 oz soda water
• Garnish: lemon slices

French Gentian Spritz

Suze or Salers meet sparkling wine in this bright, bittersweet pour. These French gentian liqueurs are bracingly bitter with citrus undertones. Pair with a brut bubbly and a twist of lemon for a high-style apéritif.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Gentian liqueur (Suze or Salers recommended)
• 3 oz sparkling wine
• 1 oz soda water
• Garnish: lemon peel

Cynar Spritz

This spritz is bitter, herbal, and surprisingly complex. Cynar is an artichoke-based amaro that is both earthy and vegetal; this one’s for fans of depth and bite.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Cynar 70
• 3 oz prosecco (try Martini & Rossi Prosecco)
• 1 oz soda water
• Garnish: Grapefruit slices or peel

Vermouth Spritz

Skip the sparkling wine for this spritz; the vermouth is the star of this show. The vermouth spritz is a refreshing, lower-proof alternative with herbal depth and effervescent charm.

Ingredients

• 2 oz dry or semi-dry vermouth (Savoia Orancio or Martini Bianco recommended)
• 4 oz sparkling water (or tonic for added bite)
• Garnish: Orange slice or lemon twist

Beyond The Basic

There’s no wrong way to spritz — only unexplored paths. Try swapping in different amari, flavored vermouths, wines or even adding shrubs and syrups.

Whether you lean bitter, floral or citrus-forward, here are some of the best spritz variations to sip this season. Not all quite follow the same 3-2-1 ratio, but the foundation is similar. Start with these, then riff to your heart’s content.