Tasty alternatives to the Aperol Spritz

1. Tesco Spritzi Blood Orange, Italy NV

£5, 75cl, Tesco

This summer, the Aperol Spritz really does seem to have cemented its place as the heatwave drink. Stroll around any British town on a hot day and pub terraces are dotted with those oversized wine glasses of the bittersweet Italianate mixture, glowing like little orange lamps in the sun. We’re making our own versions at home now, too: Spritz recipes lead the chart of Google searches for ‘cocktails’. Sales of pre-mixed versions are also on the up. I can see the appeal of Tesco’s trio of Spritzi drinks as a shortcut to the Aperol Spritz’s trademark luminous tang. Of the three I’ve tried at home this summer, the blood orange is probably the closest to the original inspiration, while the more medicinal spicy yuzu and pink pepper (£5) hits more of my personal sweet, or rather, dry spots.

2. Pernod Suze Liqueur, France NV

£22, 70cl, Great Wine

Early adopters of the Spritz craze have long since moved on from Aperol as the base of the mix with prosecco and soda water. Personally, I go for the more full-on, vivid amaro qualities of Campari. But there are so many ways to get that bitterly refreshing hit, whether you’re going for a Spritz or skipping the prosecco part and simply after a long drink. Among my current favourites include two nostalgic 19th-century French aperitif classics mixed with soda and ice. The luridly yellow Suze is based on the traditional bitters ingredient of gentian root, mixed with herbs to give earthy bitterness leavened with a lemon-balm, citrussy sweetness. The darkly intense, and mellifluously named Byrrh, meanwhile, has bitter dark chocolate, coffee and orange mixed in with sweet muscat wine.

3. Mother Root Ginger Non-alcoholic Aperitif, UK NV

£27.95, 50cl, Waitrose

I wonder how much the rise of the Spritz has contributed to the recent slump in gin sales? Even if they’re drinking it less often, I doubt my many G&T-loving friends will ever drop the drink from their repertoire entirely, with the pristine, delicate Ukiyo Tokyo Dry Gin (£32, Tesco) a current hot-weather favourite. I’ve noticed more retailers pushing white port as a lighter alternative, and Cockburn’s White Port NV (£14.50) is substantial and flavourful enough to mix with tonic in the same proportions as a G&T for a mellow, gently sweet summer sundowner. Another way of filling in the craving for grown-up, heatwave-cooling refreshment, without the alcoholic hit, meanwhile, is one of the increasingly smart and complex non-alcoholic aperitivos out there, a current favourite of which for me is the super-spicy Mother Root Ginger.