Aperol Spritz Recipe 3 2 1

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When the weather turns warm, there's no better aperitif than an Aperol Spritz. This easy recipe is nothing more than a 3 2 1 ratio and an orange slice. Cin cin!

an aperol spritz (3 2 1 recipe) in a large wine glass on a wooden table with a cork and a napkin

Why we love this recipe

I’ve never been much of a day drinker. Sometimes I think it’s because I’m a busy, functioning adult. But sometimes I think it’s because crappy beer is too crappy and Pimm’s Cups are too sweet. The Aperol Spritz, on the other hand, is juuuuuust right.

I'm always amazed at the way the first sip of a Spritz transports me to a summer afternoon, sitting at a cafe table in a Venetian piazza, feeling the slightest bit tipsy and watching beautiful people go by.

This classic cocktail is:

Light and bubbly
A little bit sweet, a little bit bitter, a little bit fruity, and a little bit herbal
Relatively low in alcohol and thus eminently sippable
Just a lovely, relaxing, civilized little ritual that I can't recommend enough

I first published this recipe here (long overdue even then) in 2016. I've since updated the post for clarity, but the classic recipe remains very much the same.

What you'll need

Here's a glance at the ingredients you'll need to make an Aperol Spritz recipe 3 2 1.

Start with three parts Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine that you'd be happy to drink on its own. It doesn't have to be super-pricey, but it should be good quality. We tend to keep a couple bottles of our "house bubbly" (yeah, I know) Chandon Brut in the fridge all the time, so I typically use that, even though it's from California and not Italy.
Next up, two parts Aperol. This slightly sweet and fruity, gently bitter Italian apéritif is made with oranges, rhubarb, herbs, and some top-secret ingredients. It's been around since 1919 and has a gorgeous orange color. "Aperol" comes "apero," the French slang word for apéritif.
Top it off with one part soda water. You can use seltzer, club soda, sparkling water — whatever you prefer. If we have a complementary flavored sparkling water in the house, like tangerine or grapefruit I'll sometimes use that for an easy, subtle twist.
Beyond that, all you need is plenty of ice and a thin orange slice to garnish.

How to make it

Here's an overview of what you'll do to make an Aperol Spritz recipe 3 2 1 — you don't even need a mixing glass or a cocktail shaker. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

Fill a large wine glass (or any other glass you like) halfway with ice. Pour in three parts Prosecco.
Add two parts Aperol.
Pour in one part soda water.
Garnish with an orange slice. That's it!

Expert tips and FAQs

Where does the Aperol spritz come from?

Spritz-style drinks have existed since at least the late 1800s in what is now the Veneto region of Italy and was then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. "Spritz" is German for splash. It referred to the splash of water that Austrian soldiers added to Italian wines to dilute them, since they were used to beer.

Aperol has been a staple in Italy since 1919, and the Aperol spritz has been in regular rotation since at least the 1940s. After that, my personal story is that the spritz has basically followed me around the world, and I couldn't be happier about it.

While we were living in London between 2011 and 2014, the spritz experienced a resurgence of trendiness there. It took a few years after we moved back to New Jersey for bartenders and liquor stores here to reliably know what I was talking about, but it's long-since happened, and I'm delighted.

The spritz was even maligned by the hilariously self-satisfied New York Times styles section back in 2019, which to me is only more evidence of its greatness. Cin cin.

Can I batch this cocktail?

It's so easy to make individual Aperol spritzes that I don't usually bother to batch them, but you can if you like. Up to a few hours before serving time, you can pour two cups of Aperol into a pitcher and stash it in the fridge. (If you like, slice an orange and add the slices to the pitcher too. Just before serving, pour in one bottle of Prosecco and one cup soda water and add a few cups of ice.

To serve, fill large wine glasses halfway with ice and slip a fresh orange slice into each. Pour the spritz generously and enjoy with friends.

Love bubbly warm-weather cocktails?

So do I! Try some of my other favorites:

an aperol spritz (3 2 1 recipe) in a large wine glass on a wooden table with a cork

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