The Aperol Spritz did its job. It taught Australians that fizzy, bitter, low-alcohol drinks at four in the afternoon are good for you. The problem is it's now what everyone makes at every barbecue, and most of the time they make it badly — cheap prosecco, half a litre of Aperol, a soaked orange wheel.
Here are seven spritzes that work better, with the bottles to make them and the rough cost per glass. None of them are difficult.
The Maidenii Spritz (the Australian answer)
Maidenii Classic Vermouth ($54) is made by Gilles Lapalus and Shaun Byrne in Harcourt, Victoria, on a Syrah base wine with native Australian botanicals (wattleseed, river mint, strawberry gum) alongside the European wormwood and gentian. Three parts vermouth, two parts dry sparkling (an Australian or Loire one — the Louis de Grenelle Saumur Ivoire Brut at $37 works perfectly), a splash of soda, an orange wedge. The vermouth gives you a drink with provenance instead of bright-orange branding.
Cost per glass: about $5.
The Dolin Blanc Spritz (the elegant one)
Maison Dolin in Chambéry has been making vermouth since 1821 — they hold the protected designation for Vermouth de Chambéry. The Dolin Vermouth Blanc ($34) is dry, floral, and gently sweet, with Alpine herbs running through it. Three parts Dolin Blanc, two parts dry sparkling, a slice of pink grapefruit. Lighter than an Aperol Spritz, more interesting, no orange-syrup aftertaste.
Cost per glass: about $4.
The Dubonnet Spritz (the Queen's drink, fizzed)
Queen Elizabeth II drank Dubonnet and gin at lunch every day. The fizzy version: Dubonnet Rouge ($37) over ice with sparkling wine and a slice of lemon. Dubonnet is wine-based, fortified with cinchona bark (the bitter note) and herbs. Comes from the French Foreign Legion canteen, somehow. Tastes like a more elegant Campari.
The Vedrenne Fig Spritz (the dinner-party trick)
Vedrenne-Terres Rouges Apéritif Figue ($53) is made by Vedrenne in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, by macerating sun-dried figs in a wine base. Pour 60ml over ice, top with sparkling and a splash of soda, garnish with a fresh fig if you can find one or a strip of orange peel if you can't. The fig comes through as deep, dried-fruit sweetness against the bubbles. The kind of spritz that gets asked about.
The Vin de Noix Spritz (the autumn one)
Vedrenne Vin de Noix ($53) is wine macerated with green (unripe) walnuts — a traditional French autumn apéritif. As a spritz, it's a darker, more savoury option that suits cooler weather and richer food (think charcuterie, hard cheese, roasted nuts). 60ml over ice, top with sparkling, a twist of orange peel.
The Roselle Bitter Spritz (the Australian bitter answer)
Maidenii Roselle Bitter ($54) is Maidenii's response to Campari and Aperol — hibiscus calyx (the 'roselle' of the name) for colour and tartness, plus the usual gentian and quinine. Use it the way you'd use Aperol — three parts prosecco, two parts Roselle, one part soda — and you have an Aperol Spritz with substance.
The Chamberyzette Spritz (the rare one)
Dolin Chamberyzette ($45) is dry vermouth blended with Alpine wild strawberry liqueur — invented by Rosalie Dolin in Chambéry in 1902. The strawberry doesn't read as sweet, more as a fresh, perfumed lift over dry vermouth. As a spritz: 60ml Chamberyzette, top with dry sparkling, a slice of lemon and a fresh strawberry. Tastes like a French summer.
The shortcut spritz formula
If you remember nothing else: 3 parts sparkling : 2 parts apéritif : 1 part soda water, over ice, garnished simply.
The other rules:
- Use a wine glass, not a flute. A spritz needs room for the ice and the garnish.
- Cheaper sparkling is fine. The Monmousseau Brut Étoile ($31) is what we use at the shop. Don't waste serious bottles on a spritz.
- Pour in the glass, not the shaker. Ice first, apéritif second, sparkling third, soda last.
- Garnish matters. A wedge of pink grapefruit looks better than an orange wheel and tastes brighter.
Stop drinking the same orange drink at every barbecue. There are about forty interesting things to do with a bottle of vermouth or a French apéritif liqueur. These seven are a start.
— Chris, Caravan Wines & Spirits
