The Perfect Spritz
It is said in Venice that the spritz isn't just a drink, it's a way of life. It would be almost impossible to visit there without sitting in the sunshine sipping on one of the coral-coloured delights on offer. You can use either Aperol or Campari for a classic spritz - Aperol is slightly sweeter and less alcoholic, while Campari gives a drier result and makes a great aperitivo as the slight bitterness stimulates appetite. Recipes vary - sometimes wine is used, sometimes Prosecco. Some advocate equal quantities of Prosecco or wine to Campari or Aperol, others use a 3:2:1 ratio - three parts Prosecco or wine to two parts Campari or Aperol and one part sparkling water, but this recipe is as good a place as any to start.
200 ml/¾ cup Aperol or Campari, as preferred
600 ml/2½ cups well-chilled Prosecco or white wine
300-400 ml/1¼-1½ cups well-chilled sparkling water
orange slices, to garnish
Serves 4
Put plenty of ice cubes (never crushed ice) into four large chilled glasses and drop an orange slice into each one.
Divide the Aperol (or Campari) and chilled Prosecco (or white wine) among the glasses, then top with sparkling water. Serve at once.
Hugo
The Hugo is the Italian cousin of the classic St-Germain spritz. The addition of fresh mint leaves and lime brings bright and zesty aromas to this popular and refreshing cocktail. You can use a good quality elderflower cordial in place of the St-Germain liqueur if preferred.
40 ml/1¾ oz. St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
5 mint leaves plus a small sprig to garnish
60 ml/2 oz. well-chilled Prosecco
60 ml/2 oz. sparkling water
4 lime wedges, to serve
Serves 1
Add ice cubes to a large wine glass. Pour in the St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur and add the mint leaves. Top up with the Prosecco and sparkling water. Stir gently to combine the ingredients, add the lime wedges and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Nonna's Garden
The gorgeous combination of cucumber and mint smells fresh and light - just like the beautiful garden an Italian nonna might spend her time tending! You can also try fresh basil or sage leaves instead of the mint, and serve alongside Deep-fried Sage Leaves (page 57).
3 large slices of cucumber, plus 1 small slice to garnish
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
5 mint leaves
well-chilled Prosecco, to top
Serves 1
Put the cucumber, lemon juice, sugar and four of the mint leaves into a cocktail shaker and muddle well. Half-fill the shaker with ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled balloon glass and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a mint leaf and a slice of cucumber.
La Passeggiata
The passeggiata is an excellent Italian tradition of taking an evening stroll along a scenic boulevard, dressed up to the nines, to check out your neighbours. Why not give it a try in your own neighbourhood, accompanied by one of these? Serve with Cornichons with Salami (page 63), the perfect bite of salty meat and acidic pickles to accompany this bitter, fruity drink.
75 ml/3 oz. well-chilled pink grapefruit juice
20 ml/¾ oz. gin
20 ml/¾ oz. Aperol
well-chilled Prosecco, to top
strip of grapefruit zest, to garnish (optional)
Serves 1
Half-fill a collins glass with ice cubes. Add the pink grapefruit juice, gin and Aperol and stir well. Top with Prosecco and stir very briefly. If you like, squeeze a strip of grapefruit zest over the top and drop it in.
Negroni Sbagliato
No need to worry about your hand 'slipping' with the gin here - sbagliato means 'mistaken', and this is a rough-and-ready, but rather delicious version, of the iconic Negroni cocktail.
25 ml/1 oz. red Italian vermouth
25 ml/1 oz. Campari
75 ml/3 oz. well-chilled Prosecco
Serves 1
Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice and add the vermouth and Campari. Stir well. Add the Prosecco and stir very gently to preserve the fizz. Serve immediately.
Tiziano
This gorgeous red concoction would be just perfect to kick off an intimate meal à deux. Dubonnet's Rouge Aperitif Wine has been a staple on the cocktail scene since 1846, and rightly so!
10 red grapes
75 ml/3 oz. Dubonnet
well-chilled Prosecco, to top
strip of orange zest, to garnish
Serves 1
Put nine of the grapes into a cocktail shaker and muddle them to crush and extract the juice. Add a handful of ice cubes and the Dubonnet and shake vigorously. Strain into an old-fashioned glass, add some ice and top with Prosecco.
Squeeze the zest lengthways to spritz the essential oils in the orange peel over the drink. Garnish with it and the remaining grape on a cocktail stick.
Negroni Bianco Bergamotto
Italy is the home of the Negroni and this variation includes a few extra ingredients from the bel paese. The Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto liqueur not only comes in a bottle that is itself a work of art, but it is fl avoured with botanicals such as yellow rose, gentian, chamomile and bergamot orange. The sparkling Prosecco adds a bright zing and liveliness to this drink.
25 ml/1 oz. gin
25 ml/1 oz. Suze
25 ml/1 oz. Dolin Bianco
25 ml/1 oz. Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Liqueur
well-chilled Prosecco, to top
orange slice, to garnish
Serves 1
Add the ingredients (except the Prosecco) to a large, ice-filled wine glass and gently stir. Top with chilled Prosecco and garnish with an orange slice to serve.
Bar Note The peel of the bergamot orange used in Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Liqueur is most commonly associated with Earl Grey Tea, while the gentian is the key ingredient in Suze, a complex and slightly bittersweet liqueur.
Rosé Aperol Spritz
Bitter-sweet Aperol has seen a massive rise in popularity since its signature serve - the Aperol spritz - took the international bar scene by storm. This recipe peps it up further with the addition of sparkling rosé Prosecco, fragrant passion fruit juice and a hint of zesty lime.
50 ml/2 oz. Aperol
25 ml/1 oz. passion fruit juice (such as Rubicon)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
75 ml/3 oz. well-chilled rosé Prosecco
lime wedges, to serve
Serves 1
Fill a large balloon glass with ice cubes. Pour in the Aperol, passion fruit juice and lime juice. Stir with a barspoon and top with cold rosé Prosecco. Garnish with a couple of wedges of lime and serve at once with a straw, if you like.
Strawberry Rosé Spritzer
A gentler version of the classic Aperol spritz, this drink is deliciously light, fresh and fruity with an enticing strawberry scent. Serve as a summer aperitif alongside Pancetta & Fennel Puffs (page 90) - these savoury mouthfuls make the ideal contrast to the fruity drink..
15 ml/½ oz. strawberry syrup
50 ml/2 oz. Aperol
75 ml/3 oz. well-chilled fruity rosé wine (a Chilean Cabernet-based blend works well here)
15 ml/½ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
about 200 ml/¾ cup soda water
strawberries and lemon slices, to garnish
Serves 1
Pour the strawberry syrup into a highball glass or balloon glass. Add the Aperol, rosé wine and lemon juice and stir. Add plenty of ice cubes and top with soda water to taste, but no more than 200 ml/¾ cup. Garnish with sliced strawberries and lemon slices. Serve at once.
Sanguinello Fizz
This sophisticated sparkler celebrates all the sweet, tart and bitter qualities of vibrant blood oranges, and will transport you to a fragrant Sicilian orange grove in no time. For a delicious aperitivo combination, accompany it with some Puff Pastry Ricotta & Spinach Rolls (page 94).
40 ml/1¾ oz. blood orange juice
5 ml/1 teaspoon Campari
10 ml/? oz. limoncello
well-chilled Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine, to top
blood orange wheel, to garnish
Serves 1
Pour the first three ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake well.
Strain into a chilled champagne flute and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a blood orange wheel and serve.
Classic Negroni
A perfect combination of three distinct ingredients in equal measures. When mixed, this combination is better than the sum of its parts.
25 ml/1 oz. gin
25 ml/1 oz. red vermouth
25 ml/1 oz. Campari
orange twist, to garnish
Serves 1
Add all the ingredients to an ice-filled rocks glass in the order they are listed here. Gently stir and garnish with an orange twist. Serve at once.
Note Simply upscale to batch-make Negroni - by using 250 ml/10 oz. of each ingredient, pour into a bottle using a funnel and refrigerate until ready to serve poured over ice. Ideal for parties!
Newbie Negroni
For many, the Negroni has the perfect combination of bitter and sweet complexity, but for drinkers coming across the cocktail for the first time, its intensity and bitterness can be overwhelming. This recipe has been designed to be a gentler introduction as it's served as a long spritz. The drink is both less sweet and less bitter thanks to the use of a fruit cup...
