Recently, the New York Times wrote an article admonishing all of us to not drink the classic summer Italian cocktail, the Aperol Spritz. This has set off a firestorm of opinion on whether to spritz or not.
Let's be clear, the Aperol Spritz is sweet. BUT it's also very refreshing and has a relatively low alcohol content. You will only get out over your skis if you have several of these. Personally, I love the Aperol Spritz in the summertime. It's the perfect alternative if you have exhausted your rosé quotient.
I recognize it isn't for everyone. The good news is you can make the spritz a variety of different ways. The Italians have a wide variety of apertivi which range from sweet to incredibly bitter like Casoni Bitter which is also twice the alcohol content of Aperol. If you're drinking a Casoni Spritz, share that with someone who gives you a hard time.
If you want to stay with the time tested Venetian Spritz, here's the recipe:
2 ounces of Aperol
3 ounces of Prosecco
Splash of Soda Water
Pour over ice, add an orange wedge. Voila.
If you'd like to learn more about the Spritz, this book is an invaluable resource.
