ITALICUS SPRITZ, A ROYAL APERITIVO

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A SPRITZ DURING APERITIVO HOUR?

TASTY AND REFRESHING, BUT A LITTLE LIGHTER ON THE ALCOHOL, THE SPRITZ COCKTAIL HAS BECOME THE GO-TO DAYTIME SERVE FOR THE MODERN DRINKER.

THIS DRINK HAS ITS ORIGINS IN THE HOME OF ITALICUS ROSOLIO DI BERGAMOTTO: ITALY.

NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY IN THE 1800S WERE CONTROLLED BY THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE, WHICH SENT ITS SOLDIERS DOWN TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS. FINDING THE LOCAL WINES OF THE REGION TOO STRONG, IT IS SAID THAT THE SOLDIERS WOULD ADD A SPLASH (OR ‘SPRITZ’ IN GERMAN) OF WATER TO LIGHTEN THEM UP. THUS BEGAN THE EVOLUTION OF THE ‘SPRITZ’ COCKTAIL RECIPE, WHICH PROGRESSED TO SWAP FLAT WATER FOR BUBBLY SODA, AND THEN SUPPLEMENT THE WINE WITH THE MORE COMPLEX FLAVOURS OF FORTIFIED WINE AND LIQUEURS. TODAY WE USE PROSECCO INSTEAD OF STILL WINE.

A HIT IN ITS NATIVE ITALY AS AN APERITIVO – A LIGHT PRE-DINNER DRINK TO REFRESH YOU FROM THE DAY AND GET YOUR APPETITE READY FOR THE EVENING – THE ‘SPRITZ’ ROSE TO FAME AROUND THE WORLD IN THE EARLY 2000S AS A LUXE DRINK FOR LUNCHTIME AND SUMMER EVENINGS. SIPPED BY THE RICH AND FAMOUS AND ENJOYED WITH FRIENDS OVER FOOD, THIS SIMPLE DRINK CAN NOW BE FOUND ON MOST COCKTAIL MENUS AND IS SERVED AN INFINITE NUMBER OF WAYS.

TO CREATE AN ELEVATED ALTERNATIVE TO THE CLASSIC:

THIS ELEGANT SPRITZ RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS THE FLORAL AND CITRUS NOTES OF ITALICUS ROSOLIO DI BERGAMOTTO

SIMPLY COMBINE ONE PART ITALICUS WITH TWO PARTS PROSECCO OR CHAMPAGNE OVER ICE, AND GARNISH WITH THREE GREEN OLIVES TO BALANCE THE FLORAL AROMAS WITH A TOUCH OF SALTINESS. see full recipe below.