Have a taste of Italy, try an Aperol Spritzer!

Today on Mixology Monday, Steve Wernick, Floor Manager of the Lawrenceville store talks about a newer apertif called Aperol.

Recently, we had someone buy a case and a half of Aperol, along with two cases of La Marca prosecco, without any explanation other than they were having a party. Today, someone came in and asked for two bottles each of Aperol and prosecco. Since he didn’t know what Aperol was, it gave me the chance to have a conversation about his purchase.

He explained that a friend of his had recently returned from Vienna, and “everyone” was drinking this new spritzer. So we did a little research, and we thought we’d share a recipe with you.

First off, Aperol is an aperitif, and therefore an excellent way to transition into dinner. Aperol was invented in Italy in 1919, and is still made with the original recipe. Aperol has only been imported here for about 5 years, so we’re all still learning about it. It’s a dark orange color, flavored with a subtle blend of bitter orange, gentian root (a type of bitters), rhubarb, and other roots and herbs. It's relatively low proof at 11% ABV, so a drink or two won’t fill you up, and won’t get you drunk.

Prosecco is a dry Italian sparkling wine, made from the grape known as both prosecco and glera. Most proseccos come from the Veneto region, in the northeastern section of Italy.

For the spritzer, the drink should be 3 ounces of chilled prosecco, 1.5 ounces of Aperol, a splash of chilled mineral water or club soda, with a lemon or orange slice as a garnish. A champagne flute is desirable, but you can use any glass you have handy, and just stick with the 2:1 ratio of prosecco to Aperol.