My first trip to Rome was a magical experience. I was absolutely amazed by the archeological wonder of the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican just to name a few. What I was not prepared for was this strange orange glowing cocktail that pretty much everyone was drinking. Walk into any Ristorante, Osteria, Trattoria, Pizzeria and there it was, a sea of orange cocktails served in a white wine glass. It seemed like there were more Spritz being consumed than beer and wine combined.
Aperol is an Italian bitter apéritif made of things most of us have never heard of (gentian, cinchona) and was invented 1919 in the Padua region if Northern Italy (Near Venice). It has a vibrant orange hue and its name comes from the Italian word apero (Italian slang for the word apéritif). Aperol sits right in the middle of the bitterness spectrum between two competing liquors Campari and Select and has a relatively low alcohol content of 11%. While pretty much every region of Italy serves the Aperol Spritz, each region competes with one another on what to use as the garnish. Romans choose a simple orange slice, Venetians an olive and a sprig of rosemary. The Aperol Spritz is meant to be enjoyed before (but never during) a meal.
Although Aperol was invented in 1919 it wasn't until 1950 until it evolved into the cocktail we now know as the Spritz. (Inspired by the German 'Spritzer' which is German for splash). The ingredients of the traditional Aperol Spritz are 3 parts prosecco (think Italian champaign), 2 parts aperol, a splash of soda water followed by the all important garnish.
When I tried my first Aperol Spritz I hated it. The Bartender went way too heavy on the Aperol and the bitterness was overwhelming. The Key to the perfect Aperol Spritz is to find the right balance for your palate where the sweetness of the Prosecco is balanced by the bitterness of the Aperol. Its going to take some practice and you might need to dump a few trial runs down the drain until you get the ratio of Prosecco to Aperol dialed in for your palate, but stick with it until you have created the Perfect Aperol Spritz. You will be glad that you did.
Recipe...
In a large wine glass half full of ice add:
3 parts Prosecco
2 parts Aperol
1 part soda water
Give it a gentle stir, garnish with an orange slice / wedge. Salute!
Venice Italy in 2012, world record of 2,657 people drinking Aperol Spritz.
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