While the Aperol Spritz has really surged in popularity in Australia over the last few years, by no means is it a new concept.
A spritz (albeit sans Aperol) has been around since the 1800s when parts of northern Italy's Veneto region were controlled by the Austro-Hungarian Emprie. Soldiers and visitors from other parts of the Empire thought that Italian wine was too strong, so would add a splash of water. The German word for splash is spritz, and it was then that the origins of this delicious drink were born.
Fast forward to the early 1900s and spritz recipes had begun to evolve, subbing out still water for sparkling and experimenting with adding different flavoured liqueurs to give it some kick.
Aperol came to the party in 1919, thanks to brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, who had been working on creating aperitivos since inheriting their father's liquor company in 1912. The brand has remained true to the original recipe developed by the brothers, and while the exact ingredients are not known, it is thought to contain both sweet and bitter oranges, along with rhubarb.
The official recipe for the Aperol Spritz was born in the 1950s, and that's when it really started gaining traction in Italy as the perfect aperitivo. Eventually it made its way around the world, and transformed into the cult drink favourite it is today.
And the best part of all? It's super easy to make!
Ingredients
- Aperol
- Prosecco
- Soda water
- Ice
- Sliced oranges
Method
- Add ice to a glass.
- Pour over 3 parts of prosecco, 2 parts of aperol and a splash of soda. Adding the prosecco first is important so that the aperol doesn't settle at the bottom.
- Top with a slice of orange or two, then stir and serve.
- Saluti! (Cheers!)
Photo by Pinar Kucuk on Unsplash
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