Classic Aperol Spritz
Learn how to make a classic Aperol spritz! These bubbly Italian cocktails are refreshing and so easy to make. Find the best Aperol spritz recipe here!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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We’re going to Italy this summer, so I’m celebrating with this classic Aperol spritz recipe! Aperol spritzes are ultra refreshing, not-too-sweet bubbly cocktails.
A proper Aperol spritz tastes like summertime in Italy and looks like a golden orange sunset. I’ll gladly sip one on our front porch now, overlooking our overgrown front yard, and later, with a view of the Italian Riviera.
The Aperol spritz has been in the spotlight over the past week, since the New York Times boldly declared that “The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink.” Grub Street shot back that the “Entire Internet Agrees Aperol Spritz Is, in Fact, Good.”
I, for one, find the Aperol spritz to be entirely delightful. Both articles are written with the assumption that you have tried an Aperol spritz, but what if you haven’t? I vote that we all make some this weekend and decide for ourselves.
Aperol Spritz Ingredients
These cocktails require four basic ingredients, plus ice.
1) Aperol
Only Aperol will do here. Aperol is a bright orange apéritif. The brand describes the flavors as, “zesty orange with complex herbal scents harmonized with a touch of vanilla.” Look for Aperol near the liqueurs or amaros at the liquor store.
2) Prosecco
Prosecco is an inexpensive Italian sparkling wine similar to Spanish Cava or French Champagne. I recommend choosing a dry (brut) Prosecco so your drink doesn’t turn out too syrupy or sweet. Good choices range from 12 to 18 dollars.
3) Club soda
For some fizzy dilution. Any unflavored sparkling water will work. I keep cans of sparkling water in my pantry for this purpose.
4) Slice of fresh orange
You can skip this if you don’t have it, but an orange slice is the classic garnish for an Aperol spritz.
How to Make an Aperol Spritz
Aperol spritz cocktails are unbelievably easy to make. No cocktail shaker or fancy equipment required!
You’ll simply fill a wine glass with ice, then add Aperol, Prosecco, club soda and a slice of orange.
Watch How to Make an Aperol Spritz
How to Adjust Your Aperol Spritz
The generally accepted ratio is equal parts Aperol and Prosecco plus a splash of club soda. However, you can play around with the ratio until your Aperol spritz tastes exactly the way you like it. I like mine with a little more Prosecco than Aperol.
Make it less bitter
Aperol’s bitter notes can take some getting used to, so you can reduce the bitterness by using less Aperol and more Prosecco.
Make it less boozy
As written, your Aperol spritz is around 11 percent alcohol content by volume (Aperol is 11% ABV and Prosecco is 12%). To make it even lower in alcohol content, use proportionally more club soda and less Aperol and Prosecco.
What to Serve with Your Aperol Spritz
The aperol spritz is commonly served as an apéritif. Apéritifs are designed to be served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. They’re typically lightly alcoholic and more dry than sweet.
Serve your Aperol spritzes with Italian or general Mediterranean-flavored appetizers. Keep in mind that Aperol is on the bitter side. Salty, creamy/fatty and sweet foods take the edge off bitter flavors.
Here are some simple options that pair well:
- Olives or Torn Olives with Almonds, Celery & Parmesan
- Goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, or burrata with crusty bread (perhaps with olive oil and/or good jam)
- Fresh fruit, such as grapes, oranges and strawberries
- Caprese Skewers or Mediterranean Tomato & Feta Dip
- Popcorn drizzled with olive oil (why not?)
Please let me know how you like Aperol spritz cocktails in the comments! I really love hearing from you, and hope these bubbly cocktails become your go-to summer patio drink.
Looking for more refreshing cocktails? Here are a few of my favorites, and you can view all of my cocktail recipes here.
Classic Aperol Spritz
Learn how to make a classic Aperol spritz! These bubbly Italian cocktails are refreshing and so easy to make. Aperol spritzes are best made one by one, so the recipe is written to yield one cocktail and you can make more as necessary. Cheers!
Ingredients
Per cocktail
- Ice
- 3 ounces (1 part) Aperol
- 3 ounces (1 part) dry Prosecco
- 1 ounce (a splash) club soda or unflavored sparkling water
- Orange slice, for garnish
Instructions
- Add ice to a wine glass until it is nearly full. Pour in the Aperol (I usually eyeball this and pour until I’ve filled about one-third of the glass).
- Pour in an equal amount of Prosecco. Top your drink off with a splash of club soda and add a slice of orange. Enjoy!
Notes
Make it less bitter: Use less Aperol and more Prosecco.
Make it less boozy: Use more club soda, and less Aperol and Prosecco.
Recommended equipment: I really love the stemless wine glasses (affiliate link) shown in these photos. They are my everyday wine drinking glass, and I almost never break them.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Just got back from Italy, starting in Rome and ending in Venice…and I absolutely fell in love with this drink! I can’t wait to make it here at home
Currently in Italy and loving this drink. So delish. Can’t wait to reproduce at home. Thank you.
I hope you love it, Tanya!
Aperol spritz is great. And I want to offer a mod for those who like it a bit more potent: equal parts vodka and aperol, a splash of orange juice, topped with sparkling water. Don’t overdo OJ or it will be too sweet, unless you like it sweet. I sometimes overdo Aperol because I like bitter. Adding a couple of mint leaves won’t hurt. It’s a great summer drink as well.
Had this drink in Nice last month while looking out into the Mediterranean Sea. I also can’t wait try my hand at making it!
I hope you love this recipe, Meredith! Let me know what you think when you try it.
I often replace the Prosecco and Soda by a small can of Tonic water. Before you shudder and say ‘sacrilege’ i would i usually follow the standard traditional recipe. But if i fancy a second glass and stopped briefly while gardening for an Aperol my recipe is very much less boozy so i can still continue gardening in the sunshine after my second glass! Peter
Thank you for sharing how yo make this cocktail, Peter!
Kate – if you like Aperol Spritz, I highly recommend you try a Hugo Spritz!! We just returned from Italy and these quickly became our favorite drink! So easy to make at home and the muddled mint makes it especially refreshing in the summertime!!
Fantastic cocktail! My favorite for the summer. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’ve also made it with a Chardonnay I had on hand instead of Prosecco, and it was very good also.
Great to hear, Mary! I appreciate your review.
This is a good base. I had white wine on hand and 2:2:1 was too strong so I went with 3 white wine (Prosecco), 2 Aperol, 3 sparkling water. Threw in some frozen pineapple slices and will use passion fruit purée next. Thanks!
This recipe was far too heavy on the Aperol. For the true classic cocktail, Aperol.com has the right proportions.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this version. I appreciate your feedback.
Your recipe, the photos and the way you write are beautiful. I’ve just got back from Florence and HAD to make an aperol spritz. Your recipe was the best, partly due to the above. Thank you! I can’t wait to look at other recipes of yours. X
Great to hear, Rosa! I appreciate your review.
Why club soda rather than seltzer? I have never liked club soda and do not understand why it is favored over seltzer for anything. And in this recipe you say any unflavored sparkling water. Seltzer to me is so much better than soda.
You make this sound so delicious!
I’m either unfortunate or fortunate in being allergic to alcohol. I can have one drink at a rare interval but anything beyond that is not pretty. I very much appreciate good writing about tasty alcoholic beverages, because even if I can’t drink it, I can at least enjoy it vicariously.
Thanks so much for your recipe! Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy my 1st spritz in beautiful Italy, but on a trip to Chicago. Sooo good! I am not a novice drinker, but didn’t realize Aperol was a beverage sold in a liquor store lol. I was thinking Compari was used. Now educated…off I go to purchase Aperol & prosecco!
Love an APEROL SPRITZ ! Currently my favorite cocktail. Your recipe is spot on. WORD OF CAUTION–more than one cocktail may have a laxative effect.
Made this for New Year’s Eve last year. My favorite! Can’t wait to have them again this year! Used your ratio and it worked for me.
It tastes bloody marvelous just like when my brother-in-Law made it through the strictly Italian recipe. Considering since he believes that they usually do the best job, but yours rates right up there. I give it a 5 star or an A+++++++.
We like Aperol Spritzes. I make them with Aperol and Prosecco. Of course ice. We use good Prosecco and just a splash of Aperol. If the Prosecco says DOCG or Superiore or Valdobiadene, it should be good.
Had my first one last week in Spain. It was delightful! Came here looking for the recipe and you didn’t disappoint
Great to hear, Crystal!
I actually like to double down on the bitterness and add some aromatics by substituting orange rind for a wheel (i.e. no flesh) and add a couple shakes of bitters. It cuts down on the sweetness this way.
eh this recipe is WAY too heavy on the aperol. became super syrupy. after some research learned that spritzes follow a standard ratio of 3 parts of prosecco, 2 parts of bitter, and 1 part of soda water. Sadly i made this drink to this recipe and it tastes wack.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this ratio. I appreciate your feedback, Abbas.
Hi,
We had numerous Aperol spritzes in Italy last month. Can you recommend a recipe for little cookies that would be great with your Aperol spritz?
Thanks!
Margaret
I haven’t paired cookies with mine, so I’m not sure. Sorry!
I JUST had my first one yesterday!!!! I really liked it.. the only thing was the bartender who made it.. didn’t put any ice in it.. so it wasn’t cold.. it was room temp… I could’ve asked for ice but I thought that was how it’s supposed to be made…. I would definitely have it again though and plan on making it at home..
Aperol is not what you’ll drink in Venezia. It’s much too sweet–more like a Shirley Temple. But hey, American tourists love it.
Italians — almost exclusively — make Spritz’ using Select, the Aperitivo of choice in Venezia. Still family owned, since 1920, when the Spritz was first concocted.
Select has a more complex, less sweet taste. It’s almost impossible to find Aperol in Venezia, but Aperol has better marketing beyond the Lagoon.
Kate, nice photo of you two. that cookie is a charmer. loved the aperol recipe. like the bitter so equal parts aperol and procec.
mmm. I used a slice of tangerine (cutie). lovely warm day sip
thanks!! Jane
So refreshing during this heat wave of the summer of 2024! Thank you! Happy 4th of July week !
Just got back from Italy. We drank nothing except aperol spritzes. And wine the entire time. Wonderful!
Thank you for sharing, Susan!
I was looking for a refreshing summer drink, this hit the spot! Just the right amount of citrus and bitter, and quite delicious on a hot day. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Linda!
I had my first Aperol spritz today and am looking forward to sharing my new favorite summer beverage with friends!
I lived in Italy (Napoli and Montepozio) for 2.5 years. Posso parlare ancora un po di Italiano. Life was good there – my first job as a physicist and the birthplace of my oldest son (now 53 – how did that happen?) I can cook a few italian dishes (Sauccice e friarielli, Pasta alla Amatriiana, Zuppe di cozze).. Cynar is my test of an italian bar – if they haven’t got it,, take off points. (I invemted a drink – takeoff on Manhatten . I call it the San Mateo( I was working at Stanford at the time.). Eaual parts cynar and bourbon, orange peel for looks.)
Thanks for the recipe to the aperol spritzer – I will order one
tonight at the Hotel Cheval – local upscale bar with music.
IMy secon wife died in Febraury 2023, and I plan to ask my girl friend to marry me tomight.
Rusty
I knew I was going to Venice in May so I tried one at a good Italian restaurant and decided I loved it. The second night in Venice we went out to a couple of bars and then to dinner and I had an Aperol Spritz at each place and they were all a little different tasting probably due to different ratios. I made one tonight using your recipe and it was just as delicious as any of the ones in Venice. If you haven’t been to Venice you should go. It is magical.
Thank you for sharing, Janice!
I’ve had a bottle of sparkling wine kicking around for a while and decided to make this with it. It’s perfect! I will have to try it with Prosecco later. But for tonight, this is wonderful!
Great to hear, Rebekah! I appreciate your review.