Spritz (Italian Spritz Veneziano)

One of my favourite inventions from Italy is aperitivo. Friends and family meet after work or school to get a bite to eat and have a drink. Without a doubt the most popular drink for aperitivo is the Spritz Veneziano cocktail. While most tourists think its happy hour it's not at all. While the word has existed in Italy for centuries, it was once to water down strong, northern Italian wines. Today it's used for wine-based cocktails, but the spritz didn't really become popular until the alcohol producers Campari and Aperol started heavily marketing it for aperitivo. There are also some regional variations with the spritz. In Venice the Spritz Veneziano or simply Venezianois is made with white wine instead of sparkling. It may also include a green olive garnish.

3 oz Prosecco or any sparkling wine
2 oz Aperol or Campari
1 oz sparkling water or club soda

Garnish:
orange and/or lime slices

Fill a wine or lager glass with ice. Add the Aperol, prosecco and sparkling water and stir until well chilled. Garnish with a slice of orange and lime and serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.