Aperol Spritz
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Aperol Spritz is a popular cocktail in Italy! It’s tasty, refreshing and vibrant orange hue that is sure to light up your toasts. With only three ingredients this is cocktail recipe is easy to whip up and enjoy with friends just like the Italian tradition of meeting friends for an after-work Spritz!
I think I’ve mentioned it before (okay, probably many times!) but I love, love, love summer cocktails like my Peach Rose Sangria, Pink Moscato Lemonade, and Paloma and now I have Aperol Spritz to add to my list! To me, the best summer cocktail is refreshing to drink and has a pretty color and an Aperol Spritz has both. Just look at that gorgeous bright orange color!
With this cocktail we’re getting a little taste of Italy because they are very popular Italian cocktail during the summer. The good news is that you don’t need to book a trip to Italy to try one because you can easily mix up a batch of this summer drink and serve it right in your own backyard.
What is an Aperol Spritz?
It’s a popular drink in Italy and I can see why! It’s refreshing wine-based drink made with just three ingredients – prosecco, aperol, and club soda. It’s a little fizzy from the prosecco and soda with a bittersweet orange flavor from the aperol.
Unlike a lot of summer drinks and cocktails, which can be really fruity and sometimes too sweet, this one is not overly sweet. It has a perfect balance of flavors and is so refreshing.
Plus, you can’t beat the color! It looks like summer in a glass with its bright orange color. This is a must-try drink this summer so grab some friends, mix up a batch and experience a little bit of Italy!
Only 3 Ingredients Needed!
You only need three ingredients to make it and it’s so easy to remember the recipe once you’ve made it! A classic Aperol Spritz is 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts aperol and 1 part club soda. That’s it! So easy. If you want to make one drink all you need is:
- Prosecco – A dry sparkling white wine that is very similar to champagne except champagne is made in France and prosecco is made in Italy! Along with the club soda, prosecco makes the this drink a fizzy and refreshing cocktail that’s so perfect for summer. You could substitute another sparkling wine.
- Aperol – An orange-flavored liquor. It’s what gives this drink it’s bright orange color and its flavor is lightly sweet and a little bit bitter. You’ll find this in the liquor store by the liqueurs or amaros.
- Club Soda – Will give it a fuzzy dilution, if you want you could also use an unflavored sparkling water.
Steps to Prepare
- Pour the prosecco in a Collins glass filled with ice, add the aperol and top it off with the club soda.
You can, of course, adjust the amounts to make the drink stronger or not as strong depending on your tastes.
To make the drink less bitter you would reduce the amount of Aperol and use more Prosecco.
Also, and this is totally optional, you can garnish it with fresh orange slices. I love a good drink garnish and fresh orange slices on the side of the glass make this cocktail so pretty.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Because this drink is fizzy, I don’t recommend making a big batch ahead of time if you’re having a party because the club soda and prosecco will lose their bubbles after a while. The drink is so easy to make that you can make them as people want one, or create an Aperol Spritz bar with all the ingredients and guests can serve themselves!
When to serve it?
This cocktail is called an aperitif which is just a fancy way of saying that it’s served before dinner because its bittersweet flavor is thought to stimulate the appetite. So, it’s a perfect drink for an after-work happy hour or to serve at parties with appetizers.
For an even more Italian experience serve your Aperol Spritz cocktails with little bowls of olives and potato chips like they do at many cafés and bars in Italy! Or try some of my favorite snacks to serve with your drinks:
Summer Snack Recipes
More Drink Recipes to Try!
- Mimosa Floats
- Skinny Spiked Strawberry Lemonade
- Blueberry Sangria
- Mai Tai
- Mojito
I know we’ll be making these cocktails all summer – now, if I could only make my backyard look like the Italian countryside it’d be perfect!
Try it and love it? Rate it, please!!! ? Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day! If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your refreshing Aperol Spritz cocktails!!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

Aperol Spritz
Ingredients
- 3 oz Brut prosecco or sparkling wine chilled
- 2 oz Aperol
- 1 oz club soda
- 1 medium orange sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the prosecco into a Collins glass filled with ice.
- Add the Aperol and orange slices wheel, and top with club soda.
Tips
- You can substitute the Club Soda for a unflavored sparkling water.
- To make the drink less bitter you would reduce the amount of Aperol and use more Prosecco.
Malinda Linnebur says
Ok, hands down the prettiest drink ever!! This is definitely a drink I need to make soon, lol!
Julie says
They’re delicious!
Danielle Green says
It looks like a beautiful summer sunset in a glass!
Allison says
One of my favorite summer drinks! Love that color!
Julie Evink says
So much fun to drink!
Beth says
I am in love with the color of this drink! So pretty & just what a party needs!
Julie Evink says
Gotta have fun with a pretty and delicious drink like this!