Effervescent spritzes are built for summer sipping

Days after I’d decided to write about summer spritzes, I was — by pure coincidence — sent into the heart of Spritzville, the Mediterranean coast of France.

This was for a work conference unrelated to cocktail writing, and it was a shock: In decades of travel for my nonprofit job, I have slept in cars, tents, a closet with a bunch of cowboys snoring in the hallway, and dozens of budget hotel rooms that could typically be described as “dreary” but occasionally veered into “stabby.” Spending a few days in Cannes was a freakish occurrence. It did, however, encourage me to try to manifest wonderful things simply by declaring an intent to write about them. Testing it now: Next column, I shall write about ponies. Take heed, universe.

I suppose it’s not accurate to describe the French Riviera as the actual heart of Spritzville. It’s more like the elbow. The heart is to the east, in Italy: O.G. spritz country, the originator of the leisurely golden-hour drinking, salty-snacks-on-the-piazza culture that makes the spritz life so appealing. Certainly France is better-known for other culinary and vinous offerings. But on the Mediterranean in the middle of a heat wave, schlepping from one meeting and conference session to the next, constantly reapplying sunscreen so I didn’t crisp like freckled bacon, I did not want a tarte Tatin or a heavy bordeaux or, god forbid, anything resembling a cream sauce. I wanted a spritz. And every charming café overlooking the water was eager to oblige.

Dozens of restaurants offered not just a spritz or two, but entire spritz menus. The classic red bitter, Venetian spritzes were everywhere — the Aperol, the Campari, the Select — but there were plenty of Frenched-up versions as well, adorned with the aperitif Lillet and local strawberries and lavender syrup, and tropical spins, with passionfruit and pineapple. Some strayed far from the bittersweet profile the spritz is known for, but c’est la vie: The spritz is a coquette. She enjoys changing costumes.

She’s come a long way since her humble beginnings. According to Spritz: Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, with Recipes, by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau, the spritz may have originated in northern Italy in the 19th century, where occupying Austrians from the Hapsburg empire “spritzed” (German for “spray”) the local wines with water to dilute them or cover their perceived lower quality. But, the authors argue, the spritz didn’t really become a spritz until that water got bubbly. Soda water, they write, was available in Italy by the end of the 1800s, with siphons appearing in drink ads in the early 1900s, but “it only started to become a widespread fixture in bars about a decade and a half into the 20th century.”

The Aperol Spritz still gets the most love. Its look-at-me hue and bittersweet orange flavor make it widely approachable, even for those who haven’t grown up with the Italians’ level of comfort with bitter flavor profiles. Aperol Spritzes were everywhere in Cannes, glowing like lanterns on countless little tabletops where people gabbed, snacked and smoked.

The classic Aperol spritz template is 3-2-1 — three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part seltzer, but that formula is flexible and riffable.

In the floral category: A few years ago, the Hugo Spritz, a northern Italian variation, came suddenly sliding onto center stage, the Eve Harrington to Aperol’s Margo Channing, getting itself declared the drink of the summer by one outlet and then by the pilers-on. It’s a lovely cocktail, the elderflower liqueur (or syrup, if you prefer an even lighter drink) used in such a small portion that it contributes more by way of floral aromatics than sweetness.

For those unafraid of the bittersweet element, try out a Cynar Spritz. Cynar, a more caramel, appealingly vegetal, artichoke-based Italian amaro, is dramatically different from the bitter orange flavor that’s prominent in most red bitters.

But I also wanted to go full summer with tomatoes, herbs, and a little salt, and once we hit peak-tomato season, if you’ve got a blender and a little patience for the straining, you should give the Summer Tomato Spritz a try. It leans savory, with the sherry vinegar and lemon giving it an extra pop of brightness, and an absinthe wash adding a hint of herbal bitterness.

The absurd heat in France had me appreciating the component of the spritz that, I admit, I have often left out — namely, the very soda water that gave these drinks their name. When making drinks, I prioritize flavor, and seltzer doesn’t offer much on that front, so in Aperol Spritzes I sometimes just rely on the ice for the dilution and chill. But in the swelter, that little bit of soda water can be a godsend, lengthening the drinks and adding that prickly, enlivening bubble that wakes your eyes and your palate.

Since the heat followed me home, I can sit out front and stare through the summer haze to a memory of that French beach I left behind, sipping the spritz that seems to make it shimmer into view, right behind the patch of lawn where a pony, sadly, has yet to appear.

Total time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1 (makes 1 drink)

Spritzes often lean slightly bittersweet, but this northern Italian version employs elderflower liqueur for a more floral cocktail. (Think of it as a drier spin on the St-Germain cocktail, which uses more of the liqueur.) The contrasting aromas of fresh mint adds to the summery, easy-drinking vibe.

Where to buy: St-Germain can be found at liquor stores. Brut-style prosecco can be found at wine stores, liquor stores or grocery stores with a wine section.

Ingredients

Ice

1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur, such as St-Germain (see Where to buy)

4 to 5 ounces brut-style prosecco (see Where to buy)

1 ounce sparkling water or club soda

1 leafy fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Lemon wheel, for garnish

Directions

Fill a wine glass with ice. Add the elderflower liqueur, prosecco, and sparkling water, and gently stir to combine.

Slap the mint sprig between your hands to release the aroma, then fluff it out and add it to the glass, along with the lemon wheel, and serve.

Substitutions: For a nonalcoholic version, use elderflower syrup instead of the liqueur and nonalcoholic sparkling wine instead of the prosecco.

Variations: Add a splash of lemon juice for extra brightness, or swap the club soda for tonic water for a slightly bitter edge.

Nutritional Facts per drink, using 4 ounces prosecco | Calories: 189; Fat: 0 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g; Sodium: 15 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 0 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 7 g

Adapted from multiple sources by Spirits columnist M. Carrie Allan.

Total time: 5 mins

Servings: 1 (makes 1 drink)

The Cynar Spritz leans on the vegetal complexity of its artichoke-based amaro to give this low-effort, low-alcohol drink a rich, dark edge. It differs from spritzes made with Aperol, Campari, and other red bitters that have a bitter orange profile. Its caramel, savory flavor is great with salty snacks as a pre-dinner drink, or as a warm-weather nightcap.

Ingredients

Ice

1 1/2 ounces Cynar

3 ounces brut-style prosecco

1 ounce sparkling water or club soda

Orange wheel, for garnish

Directions

Fill a wine glass with ice, then add the Cynar, prosecco, and sparkling water. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with the orange wheel, and serve

Substitutions:

Cynar >> Carciofo, Averna, or Ramazotti.

Nutritional Facts per drink | Calories: 148; Fat: 0 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Sodium: 7 mg: Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 0 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 5 g

Adapted from multiple sources by Spirits columnist M. Carrie Allan.

Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 1 (makes 1 drink)

For a savory refresher that takes advantage of your summer tomato haul, blend up some of the fruits with fresh herbs and salt, strain the mix to make tomato water, and add the result to a classic spritz. The absinthe mist is optional, but it bumps up the herbal aromatics in this garden-party sipper. You’ll need a fine-mesh strainer and preferably a cheesecloth to make the tomato water.

Make ahead: The tomato water can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Keep chilled, and shake before use.

Storage: Refrigerate the tomato water for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. If freezing, defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

For the tomato water:

3 ripe medium tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total), cored and quartered

10 fresh basil leaves

2 sprigs fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fine salt

For the drink:

Absinthe (optional)

Ice

2 ounces tomato water

2 ounces dry vermouth, such as Dolin

2 ounces brut-style prosecco

Fresh basil leaf, for garnish

Pitted green olive, for garnish

Directions

Make the tomato water: In a blender, combine the tomatoes, basil, tarragon, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt, and blend until smooth. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a medium bowl. Pour the tomato mixture through the strainer and let drain slowly, about 1 hour, pressing gently on the solids with a flexible spatula at the end. (To speed this up, you can use a nut-milk bag, squeezing it to extract the liquid. This will be faster, but the liquid will be more cloudy — more juice than “water.”) You should have about 2 cups. Use right away, or transfer to a lidded jar and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or until needed.

Make the drink: Mist or rinse a wine glass with absinthe, and discard any extra. Add ice to the glass, then the tomato water, vermouth, and prosecco, and stir gently to combine. Thread the basil leaf through the hole in the olive and skewer the garnish with a long cocktail pick. Add the garnish to the drink, and serve.

Nutritional Facts per drink (not including strained tomato juices) | Calories: 167; Fat: 0 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 9 g; Sodium: 289 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 0 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 1 g

From Spirits columnist M. Carrie Allan.