Aperol Spritz

My husband and I had our honeymoon in Italy, and one of our favorite parts of the day was sitting in a cafe for an afternoon Spritz.

Although most parts of Italy are hard to bring back to the states, the spritz is easy to make and the flavor totally transports me back to our trip.  You can use any number of bitter orange aperitifs in a spritz (for many, many options, check out this excellent little book), but I've found that Aperol is fairly easily available and affordable.  Aperol's bitter flavor and bright color are what make the spritz distinctive, while Prosecco and soda water add bubbles.  The alcohol content is lower than many other liquors, making this a great afternoon or pre-dinner drink, or for anytime when you're more interested in something that feels a bit fancy than in something that will get you tipsy.

Aperol Spritz (serves 1)

Ice

2 ounces Prosecco

1-1/4 ounces Aperol

Splash of club soda

Orange slice

Start with a few ice cubes in your glass.  Add the Prosecco, top with Aperol, and finish with a little soda.  Garnish with orange.  Of course, you can adjust the ratio of ingredients to taste.