Sprizz Veneziano

Venetian cocktail: Sprizz

Perhaps you’ve already tried it – the Sprizz cocktail. This intensely colored drink is particularly popular in Italy in Veneto, Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige. However, it is now also known in Austria and Germany. The name is derived from the Austrian term for a spritzer, namely Gespritzter. There are different ways to prepare Sprizz. Basically, it consists of a white wine from Veneto, soda water and an intensely colored spirit. This can be Campari(Sprizz al bitter), Cynar or Aperol(all’Aperol). Instead of the mixture of white wine and soda, Prosecco, which also comes from Veneto, can also be used.
It is believed that Austrian troops in Veneto invented the mixture, which diluted the highly alcoholic white wine from Veneto with water to make it “more effective” again with colored spirits.

Aperol Spritz

Alternative names for Sprizz

As Sprizz probably originated in Venice, it is also called Veneziano in South Tyrol. A more “German” spelling is Spritz, but you will also find Spriz, Spriss and Sprisseto on menus and in general usage. The combination Spritz Venetiano is also possible. In Friuli (especially in the province of Pordenone), Aperol and soda are used and the cocktail is called Furlan. There it is served with a green olive. However, the Spritz is often served with a slice of orange.
The closer you get to Austria, the greater the chance that an Austrian rather than an Italian white wine will be used.

Spritz variants

The popularity of the Spritz has led to other variations being developed, such as those found on the Aperol website. There you will find a recipe for the Aperol Ginger Spritz, which consists of 4 cl Aperol, 5 cl ginger ale, 2 cl Prosecco, the juice of half a lime, ice cubes and cucumber sticks (!). For the Aperol Ginger Grapefruit, mix 4 cl Aperol, 4 cl grapefruit juice and 2 cl ginger ale, add a dash of soda, ice cubes and raspberries and garnish with a few lemon balm leaves.