Season of the spritz: cocktails for sunny days

Photographs by Romas Foord
Snack recipes by Holly O’Neill

It was improbably red in colour, with an improbably green olive on a stick and it was like nothing we’d ever tasted: bitter and sharp; grownup yet playful; and so, so moreish. It was – commit this to memory, for it is a formula for happiness – 100ml white wine, 50ml Campari, 25ml fizzy water.

This quintessential Italian aperitivo has, in the intervening years, gone global, though it is the version made with Aperol and prosecco that has become standard, seen everywhere from The White Lotus to your local Wetherspoon’s. The Aperol spritz is truly one of the marketing sensations of the century, helped in no small part by its instantly recognisable bright orange colour.

Nevertheless, I’ve sensed the beginnings of Aperol spritz ennui – a thirst for variations. The original Venetian spritz, made with Campari or (more properly) Select, has begun to reassert its primacy. The northern Italian hugo spritz, made with elderflower liqueur, has been steadily building a following, and last summer in Capri, the limoncello spritz seemed to be everywhere. The basic formula allows for endless versions. The negroni sbagliato, for instance, is just a spritzified negroni, with the gin subbed for champagne.

Prosecco has become usual, but the Venetian spritz is traditionally made with still white wine, specifically local soave, for its crisp, refreshing acidity. Anything too lemony or oaky won’t work.

As for the liqueur, Aperol is approachable, though a little sweet for my taste. Campari and Select have more of the essential bitterness, while other amari (such as Cynar or Averna) will earn you hipster points. You can also spritz with a sweet liqueur – apricot, blackcurrant, elderflower, etc – but I’d recommend a couple of shakes of Angostura, or perhaps cutting the wine with dry vermouth to retain its herbal intrigue.

You can add spirits if you must, though not too much – this is light and easy drinking. Don’t neglect that fizz of water, which tips it to refreshing, not cloying. Spritzes are prudently served in tumblers – it’s easy to overturn a heavy wine glass.

But perhaps the most crucial spritz variable is the timing. As an aperitivo, it is designed for late-afternoon drinking, ideally accompanied by a plate of delicious salty things and a sigh as you forget the troubles of the day.

You can buy watermelon juice in cartons, but it’s simple to juice yourself. One way is to use a blender and then strain. A more lo-fi method is to place a sieve over a bowl, cut a few slices and grate them against the mesh. Absinthe isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I promise a little tear of anise in this is sensational.

Makes 1 spritz

Campari (or Aperol) 30ml
watermelon juice 60ml
prosecco 60ml
sparkling water 30ml
absinthe/pastis a dash (optional)
to garnish black olive, lemon slice, watermelon slice

Fill a glass with ice cubes and add the ingredients one by one, stirring all the while. Garnish with a lemon slice and a black olive and a sliver of watermelon, if you fancy.

Snack idea
Watermelon loves salty cheese. Spear a cube of halloumi, a stoned green olive and a small pickled chilli on a cocktail stick. Pan-fry in a little oil, turning so the halloumi is golden-brown all over. Drizzle with a little honey (optional), a good squeeze of lemon juice (not optional), and scatter with nigella and/or sesame seeds.

The white negroni is a popular variant on the classic Italian cocktail, substituting the traditional Campari and red vermouth for the French ingredients Suze and Lillet Blanc. (Suze is a bitter gentian liqueur from the French Alps with a pronounced peppery taste, a little like Campari in a minor key; Lillet is a bright aperitif wine similar to sweet vermouth.) It can be spritzified with a little sparkling wine. Cremant de bourgogne might be appropriate here.

Makes 1 spritz

Suze 25ml
Lillet Blanc (or sweet white vermouth) 25ml
cremant 100ml
sparkling water 25ml
orange and lemon slices to garnish

Fill a glass with ice cubes, add all of the ingredients and give it a good stir. Garnish with lemon and/or orange slices.

Snack idea
Roasted nuts are always a good idea, and pretty much any flavour combo works. We're quite into almonds tossed with ground cumin, cayenne or smoked paprika, lots of salt, pepper, pomegranate molasses and strips of lemon peel and roasted at 160C fan/gas mark 4, turned occasionally, watched carefully, till fragrant and crunchy.

We have the Italian futurist painter Enrico Prampolini to thank for this avant-garde red wine spritz from 1931. He named it la giostra d’alcol – the carousel of alcohol. He called for barbera d’asti (but any medium-bodied easy-drinking red will do) and for cedrata, a soft drink made from the citron, which is like a bitter lemon. Tassoni is the most popular brand in Italy, but a decent lemonade (or grapefruit soda) will make a good substitute.

Makes 1 spritz

medium-bodied red wine 60ml
cedrata or lemonade 60ml
Campari 30ml
sugar syrup 5-10ml (to taste)
lemon a slice

Stir all of the ingredients with ice in a tumbler and garnish with lemon. The traditional accompaniment is gorgonzola and dark chocolate.

Snack idea
For futurist cheese straws, take a sheet of puff pastry and smear half scantly with fig jam or relish and the other half generously with gorgonzola. If you are feeling futurist, add a light scattering of finely chopped very dark chocolate (not essential but not as weird as you think). Bring the halves together and press firmly. Brush with olive oil, scatter with sea salt flakes and bashed-up fennel seeds; slice into 1-1.5cm strips. Bake at 180C fan/gas mark 6 for 10-12 minutes, or till golden and crisp.

The hugo is a regional staple from Tirol that is increasingly seen all over Italy. If you’ve no elderflower liqueur, you can always use 15ml elderflower cordial plus 15ml gin or vodka. For me, it’s improved by a dash of Angostura bitters.

Makes 1 spritz

mint a few leaves
elderflower liqueur (eg St Germain) 25ml
prosecco 100ml
sparkling water 25ml
Angostura bitters a dash (optional)
lemon a slice

Slap the mint to release the aromas and place in a wine glass. Pour over the liqueur, then fill the glass with ice. Add the prosecco, water and bitters, give it a quick stir, and garnish with lemon.

Snack idea
Crab on a cracker! Favourite exclamation or excellent snack? Grate ginger, garlic and lemongrass and sizzle with chopped chilli in oil till fragrant. Leave to cool, then stir into picked crabmeat and smashed avocado (use creme fraiche if you prefer). Season with finely chopped dill, salt or fish sauce, and lime juice to taste. Serve on prawn crackers.

Richard Godwin’s drinks Substack is The Spirits

Black Lines apertivo spritz
For our money, and it’s had plenty of it, Black Lines makes the best bottled cocktails on the market. New from the brand, this has a perfect bitter/sweet balance, bright but slightly rich. £19 (750ml), blacklinesdrinks.com

Aperitivo Club hugo
We love its floral bellini, but the hugo edges it – it nails the fresh mint zing (few do). £3.99 (187ml), aperitivo.club, delli.com

Moth aperitivo spritz
Of the many Moth cocktails, this is one we reach for most often – fun for an impromptu park sundowner. From £3.25 (200ml), mothdrinks.com, supermarkets