Aperol Spritz
An Aperol Spritz is three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda: 90ml prosecco, 60ml Aperol and 30ml soda water, poured in that order into a large wine glass packed with ice, with an orange slice to finish. That is the International Bartenders Association’s Spritz, with its splash of soda measured. Aperol is an Italian aperitivo at 11% ABV, bitter orange with rhubarb and gentian, launched by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri in Padua in 1919. The spritz habit in the Veneto is older; the usual account traces it to Austrian soldiers adding water to the local wine. Pour the prosecco first and the Aperol mixes as it goes in. A glass holds about 1.7 UK units.
Glassware: Wine Glass
Garnish: Orange slice
Ingredients
90ml
Extra Dry or Brut, well chilled, usually 11 to 11.5% ABV. At 90ml it is half the drink, so its sweetness and bubbles set the result.
60ml
An Italian bitter-orange aperitivo at 11% ABV, about the strength of wine. Campari in its place is more bitter and stronger, and makes a different spritz.
30ml
Chilled, from a bottle opened that day. The IBA asks for a splash; 30ml lengthens the drink without washing out the bitterness.
Instructions
Fill a large wine glass with cubed ice.
Pour in the prosecco.
Add the Aperol.
Top with the chilled soda water, poured gently down the inside of the glass.
Lift once with a bar spoon and add a slice of orange.
Source: the IBA (Official IBA specification, listed as Spritz; soda measured at 30ml; method ours). Last checked 9 October 2026.
Expert Tip
Prosecco first, then Aperol, then soda. Aperol is the heavier liquid; poured onto prosecco it sinks and mixes on the way down, so the bar spoon only has to lift it once. Poured first, it sits under the ice and needs stirring that knocks out the bubbles. Pack the glass with ice and keep every bottle cold. A spritz over a few cubes warms quickly, and as the ice melts the drink turns flat and watery. Choose Extra Dry or Brut prosecco. Extra Dry is the sweeter of the two despite its name; anything sweeter again makes the drink cloying.
Behind the Aperol Spritz
Flavour Profile
Three, Two, One
The Aperol Spritz is three measures of prosecco, two of Aperol and one of soda. The International Bartenders Association lists it as the Spritz, at 90ml prosecco and 60ml Aperol with a splash of soda, built over ice in a wine glass and garnished with orange. Ours measures the soda at 30ml.
The ratio keeps the prosecco in front. More Aperol makes the drink heavier and more bitter; more soda thins it until the orange fades.
The Spritz as the IBA lists it, and ours
Spritz (IBA)
- Prosecco
- 90ml
- Aperol
- 60ml
- Soda
- A splash
- UK units
- 1.7
Aperol Spritz (ours)
- Prosecco
- 90ml
- Aperol
- 60ml
- Soda
- 30ml
- UK units
- 1.7
| Version | Prosecco | Aperol | Soda | UK units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spritz (IBA) | 90ml | 60ml | A splash | 1.7 |
| Aperol Spritz (ours) | 90ml | 60ml | 30ml | 1.7 |
Soda adds no alcohol, so the two come out the same. Swap the Aperol for elderflower liqueur and you have the Hugo Spritz, floral where this is bitter.
Aperol and the Spritz
Luigi and Silvio Barbieri launched Aperol at the Padua International Fair in 1919. It is bitter orange with rhubarb and gentian, at 11% ABV, sweeter and gentler than most Italian bitters.
The spritz itself is older. The usual account traces it to the Veneto under Habsburg rule, when Austrian soldiers cut the local wine with water. Bitter liqueurs and sparkling wine came later, and Aperol with prosecco is the pairing that travelled.
Pour the Prosecco First
Aperol is denser than prosecco. Poured second, it falls through the wine and mixes on the way, which leaves the bubbles intact. Poured first, it pools under the ice and needs a real stir, and stirring a sparkling drink flattens it.
Chill the prosecco, the Aperol and the soda, and fill the glass with ice. Warm bottles melt the ice fast, and the drink waters down within minutes.
Choosing the Prosecco
Prosecco is half the glass and varies more than the Aperol does. Extra Dry, the traditional choice, is sweeter than Brut despite the name; Brut gives a drier, sharper spritz. Anything sweeter than Extra Dry adds sugar to a drink that already has plenty.
How Strong It Is
With the prosecco and the Aperol both at 11% ABV, an Aperol Spritz holds about 1.7 UK units. That is light for a cocktail, and the drink is built to last through an aperitivo hour rather than be finished fast.
Make it at home
The Spirit
AperolAperol is an 11% ABV Italian bitter aperitivo, orange-led and gently bitter, made to a secret recipe that includes gentian, rhubarb and cinchona. The brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created it in Padua and first sold it in 1919. At 11% it is too weak to be a liqueur in UK law and sits at wine strength, which is why it suits a long spritz rather than a short stirred drink.
More to explore
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the official Aperol Spritz recipe?
How strong is an Aperol Spritz?
Is Aperol a spirit?
Why pour the prosecco before the Aperol?
What does Aperol taste like?
Which prosecco should I use for an Aperol Spritz?
What is the difference between an Aperol Spritz and a Hugo Spritz?
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Americano
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Campari & Soda
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Where this one sits
Recipe by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 12 October 2026