Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The best spritz cocktail recipes to drink this spring

Spring is the perfect time to mix it up with spritz cocktails. Let us show you how to make some tasty ones

By
Two glasses of Rose cocktails with blueberry garnish on crocheted cloth on a metal tray
GMVozd / Getty Images

The spritz is liquid springtime, using the power of sparkling wine and the floral nature of this time of year. The classic involves prosecco and Aperol, but that’s merely one of countless permutations to make and enjoy this iconic sipper. Think of it as a fizzy cooler, a drinkable bouquet cut to your liking based on your favorite accents, aromatics, and mixers.

While we advise you to go with the Italian classic and use the famous bitter apéritif at least some of the time, we also want you to be curious and inventive. Like the Old Fashioned or a classic Negroni, the spritz is so much more than one thing, and it’s very much worth plunging into and fully exploring. And there’s no better time to do so than the thawing, rejuvenating, increasingly thirsty days of spring.

Recommended Videos

Whether you mix one with bubbly water, Prosecco, Cava, your favorite champagne, or something else entirely, here are some spritz cocktail recipes to make and enjoy this spring.

Related

Rooftop rosé spritz

A glass of rooftop rosé spritz garnished with thyme on a table
Image used with permission by copyright holder

New York City’s Refinery Rooftop features a glass roof so that you can enjoy the view no matter the season. This spritz, created by In Good Company Hospitality’s cocktail curator, Will Benedetto, is especially perfect for enjoying during the warmer months.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces The Botanist gin
  • 3/4 ounce grapefruit juice
  • 1/2 ounce thyme simple syrup*
  • 1/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 piece lemon peel
  • Wölffer Rosé Cider to top

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain and pour into a glass over ice and top with Wolffer Rosé Cider.
  3. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

*Thyme simple syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar, 5 large thyme sprigs, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and strain.

Cancion del Verano

A glass of Cancion del Verano garnished with grapefruit beside ice cubes, grapefruit wedges, leaves, and a handle of a knife on wooden cutting board
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This citrusy spritz from one of our favorite Spanish restaurants, Boqueria, mixes mint and grapefruit with vermouth and bubbly for a light, balanced libation. Dial in the volume of your Cava pour, as too much or too little can throw the whole thing off.

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces Ya Cava
  • 1 1/2 ounces Atxa white vermouth
  • 3/4 ounce grapefruit mint cooler mix*
  • 2 heavy dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
  • Grapefruit wedge to garnish

Method

  1. Add all ingredients, save for the garnish, to a wine glass filled with ice.
  2. Stir briefly and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

*Grapefruit mint cooler mix: Muddle 7 large mint leaves in 3/4 ounce simple syrup. Add 3 ounces of fresh grapefruit juice and 3/4 ounces of fresh lemon juice and stir to combine.

Greenmarket spritz

A woman holds a glass of Greenmarket Spritz containing cucumber slices and thyme sprig over vegetables
Image used with permission by copyright holder

New York’s Bocce teamed up with spritz master Stacey Swenson from Dante at Genuine to create this herb-packed libation, perfect for mild days and cool evenings. Pro tip: Infuse the tequila early so it’s ready when the happy hour bell is ringing.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce herb-infused Espolon Blanco tequila*
  • 1/2 ounce Carpano Dry vermouth
  • 1 ounce fresh cucumber juice
  • 1/4 ounce agave syrup
  • 1/4 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 dash Bitter Truth Celery Bitters
  • 1 dash saline
  • Cucumber strips to garnish

Method

  1. Add all ingredients, save for the garnish, to a wine glass filled with ice.
  2. Stir briefly and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

*Herb-infused tequila: Combine a bottle of Espolon Blanco tequila with 1 tablespoon ground oregano, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 2 thyme sprigs. Let macerate for 24 hours at room temperature. Strain and discard the herbs. Store the herb-infused tequila in the fridge until ready to use.

Almond and peach spritz

A male bartender standing behind a bar counter with a glass of Almond and Peach Spritz with mint sprig garnish
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Equal parts nutty, fruity, and delicious, this drink from Gary Wallach has us thinking of warm brunch patios. It’s an al fresco sipper that’s not too heavy, so you can keep ahold of your day even if you’re imbibing right around noon.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Dolin dry vermouth
  • 1/2 ounce Maker’s Mark
  • 3/4 ounce peach puree
  • 1/2 ounce orgeat
  • Prosecco and soda to top
  • Lemon twist and mint sprig to garnish

Method

  1. Add the first four ingredients to a wine glass and add ice.
  2. Top with equal parts Prosecco and soda.
  3. Use a bar spoon to agitate the ingredients.
  4. Garnish with a lemon twist and mint sprig.

Bicicletta

Aperol spritz cocktail orange
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For this next spritz cocktail recipe, we go back to Italy. The Bicicletta (the Italian word for “bicycle”) is a close cousin to the better-known Aperol spritz and the Negroni, but it has a more bitter taste thanks to the Campari, which substitutes for Aperol in this cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc works best)
  • 2 ounces Campari
  • Chilled club soda
  • 2 orange wheels (for garnish)

Method

  1. Add the wine and Campari into a wine glass or a double rocks glass.
  2. Fill the glass 3/4 full with ice.
  3. Top with club soda.
  4. Stir gently to combine.
  5. Garnish with the orange wheels.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
20 delicious appetizer recipes to cook for your next dinner party
Apps that will have your guests coming back for more and so good, they may forget about the main course
Various healthy foods on a table

It's almost summertime, which means more outdoor gatherings that involve grilling, smoking, and even frying. Whether you're playing host to a few friends or bringing a plate to the potluck, the key to any good gathering is having the right savory starters.

A good appetizer is easy to make, exciting to eat, and just enough food to keep your guests not too full but still happy. In addition to the typical chips and salsa, serving smaller portions with a variety of different textures and flavors goes a long way when feeding a crowd. Your friends and family deserve the best. Best of all, many of these appetizer recipes are easy, and you can prep the night before.

Read more
How to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew
Faced with a cork and no corkscrew? We'll show you how to get that wine bottle open
Person holding an open wine bottle toward the camera

It happens to the best of us: You’ve set up camp in the woods or unpacked your gear in a barebones hotel, and it dawns on you — you have no corkscrew! The bottle of wine you wanted to enjoy is now mocking your forgetful ways.

If the internet has taught us anything, it’s that there’s a hack for everything. Turns out, the wine world is full of MacGyvers. Crafty imbibers employ everything from bike pumps to shoes to extract pesky corks. And while it isn't as easy as opening a beer without a bottle opener, it is possible.

Read more
The best new non-alcoholic drinks for a happy hour without the hangover
NA drinks are better than ever
Wilderton Aperitivo and citrus.

Within the vast realm of drinks, the most evolved as of late is arguably the non-alcoholic category. While we've seen exciting new cocktail trends and useful new beer hop varieties, it's the NA world that's made the biggest strides in the last couple of years. That means we no longer have to shutter when seeing things like zero proof on labels, as the options now are better than ever.

Why the upswing? A perfect storm, really. Wellness trends continue while tech continues to evolve, making the creation of such drinks all the easier. The NA sector has proven itself to be a major player in the marketplace, and the producers have responded accordingly, giving these drinks the TLC they deserve.

Read more