Recipe: Aperol Spritz Amplified

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Even though the term “spritz” is a leftover bit of  cocktail vocabulary when the Veneto area was ruled by the Austo-Hungarian Hapsburgs, this drink is All Italian. Aperol itself was created in Padua by two brothers, Luigi and Silvio Barbierie in 1919 ( the Hapsburgs had left this area of Italy) for a lifestyle fair.  Aperol gets it bright color from gentian, a slightly bitter taste from rhubarb and other secret herbs and spices. In the period after World War II, aperitivi in the late afternoon became a trend and Aperol with its cleverly designed posters which were aimed at both sports loving men watching TV in bars AND women enjoying a libation. The Art Nouveau inspired posters were used in newspapers, magazines and of course TV. The combination of Aperol and Prosecco as part of a Veneto “spritz” probably occurred in the 1980s.  I personally love the glasses that Luca Trazzi designed for the Aperol Spritz which is sort of an hommage to the original Aperol bottle of 1919.  

You can see it is pretty simple to make, no crushed ice, big ice cubes are essential, but the Resident Wine Maniac did some some serious research on this delightful low-alcohol sprits and found that if  blood orange soda is added, you get a more robustly flavored drink.  Not stronger, not sweeter, it just has that added je-ne-sais-quoi.  Our favorite blood orange soda for this drink is from Effervé