Table & Traditions Recipes, rituals & real meals
About Favorites 0

Veneto, Northern Italy (Venice & Padua) · Italian

Aperol Spritz (The Italian Sunset Aperitivo)

Italy's golden-hour spritz: Aperol, Prosecco and soda over ice with an orange slice. The 3-2-1 ratio, why the order you pour matters, and the lightest world-famous aperitivo.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 21, 2026

An Aperol Spritz glowing bright orange in a large wine glass full of ice, an orange half-moon slice on the rim, sunlit on an outdoor table.

The spritz is the sound of an Italian summer evening. Rooted in the Veneto — where Austrian soldiers once 'spritzed' local wine with water — the modern Aperol Spritz pairs the bitter-orange aperitivo with Prosecco and soda. Low in alcohol and bright as a sunset, it's the aperitivo Italians sip before dinner, all season long.

Yield
Makes 1
Prep
3 min
Cook
0 min
Total
About 3 min
Difficulty
Easy

The Aperol Spritz is the sound of an Italian summer evening — Aperol, Prosecco and soda over ice with an orange slice. Bittersweet, bubbly and low in alcohol, it’s the aperitivo Italians sip before dinner all season long.

Remember 3-2-1

Three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, one part soda. It’s the easiest ratio in cocktails to remember and it’s reliably balanced — bright, bittersweet and light.

Pour in the right order

Fill a big wine glass with ice, then pour the Prosecco first, the Aperol second, and a splash of soda last. Adding the wine before the Aperol keeps the bubbles alive and the colour even; the other way round it foams and flattens.

One gentle stir

Stir just once to blend the layers without knocking out the fizz, and garnish with an orange slice to echo Aperol’s bitter-orange note. Serve before dinner with olives and chips. More aperitivo ideas in the Drinks guide.

Ingredients

Makes
1
  • 90 ml (3 oz) Prosecco, well chilled
  • 60 ml (2 oz) Aperol
  • 30 ml (1 oz) soda water (a splash)
  • an orange slice (half-moon), to garnish
  • plenty of ice

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Fill a large wine glass with ice.

    Why: A big glass full of ice keeps the spritz cold and properly diluted — the Italian way is generous with both glass and ice.

  2. Pour the Prosecco first, then the Aperol, then a splash of soda — the classic 3-2-1 ratio.

    Why: Adding the Prosecco before the Aperol lets them combine gently without knocking the bubbles flat; the order keeps it fizzy and the colour even.

  3. Stir once, briefly, and garnish with an orange slice.

    Why: A single gentle stir blends the layers without losing carbonation; the orange slice echoes Aperol's bitter-orange flavour.

A quick, anonymous tap — no review needed.

Variations

  • Campari spritz

    Swap Aperol for Campari for a more bitter, deeper-red spritz — for those who like an edge.

  • Select / Cynar

    Use Select (the Venetian original) or Cynar in place of Aperol for a more authentic or more herbal-bitter spritz.

  • Analcolico

    Use a non-alcoholic bitter aperitivo and alcohol-free sparkling wine for a low/no-ABV version.

Serving & Storage

Serve before dinner with salty snacks — chips, olives, taralli. It's an aperitivo: light, bitter and meant to open the appetite, not get you drunk.

Pairs with: Olives, Potato chips, Taralli, Prosciutto & melon.

Storage: Build to order so it stays fizzy. Keep the Prosecco, Aperol and soda all well chilled in advance, then assemble in the glass when you pour.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 spritz (~180 ml))

Calories
145
Protein
0 g
Carbs
14 g
Fat
0 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
13 g
Sodium
10 mg

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the right ratio?

The classic is 3-2-1: three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, one part soda. Pour in that order over a glass full of ice. It's easy to remember and reliably balanced — bittersweet, bubbly and light.

Why pour the Prosecco before the Aperol?

Adding the wine first and the Aperol after lets them mix gently without agitating and flattening the bubbles, and gives that even sunset colour. Dumping Aperol into fizz first tends to foam and go flat.

Is it strong?

No — that's the appeal. Aperol is only around 11% ABV and there's plenty of ice and soda, so a spritz is a light, low-alcohol aperitivo you can sip over a long evening.

From our kitchen community

Ratings & Reviews

My Rating

Tap a star to rate — no sign-in, no form needed.

Be the first to rate Aperol Spritz (The Italian Sunset Aperitivo).

Further reading