Amaro Spritz (Refreshing & Simple)

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

Italian spritzes are a classic, well-beloved classification of cocktails for a reason. Developed in the late 19th century as an aperitivo drink – or post-work, before-dinner libation – spritzes are light, refreshing, and low enough in alcohol content that you can easily slurp down 2 or 3 without feeling overly imbibed.

While any type of amari (the plural of amaro, a type of bittersweet liqueur) can be used in this spritz recipe, Calvin and I have fallen head over heels for the sweet, complex combination of fruity, grape-y Amaro Nonino and bitter, caramelly Cynar.

Aside from those two bottles, all you’ll need is a dry sparkling wine, a bottle of soda water, and some rounds or wedges of fresh citrus to make this gorgeous amaro drink a reality. In fact, it’s so simple to make that you don’t even need a cocktail shaker!

So come along with me to the kitchen and learn how to make this classic cocktail. In mere minutes you’ll be transported to the Sardinian coast, no passport required.

🍴Ingredients

Making this amari spritzer requires little more than just amaro and soda. Here’s what to grab:

• Sparkling Wine - I suggest using a dry sparkling wine for this spritz cocktail to balance out the sweet notes of the amari. For your bubbly beverage to taste extra frosty, be sure to stash your bottle in the fridge overnight.
• Amaro Nonino - If you are a wine-lover, Amaro Nonino is the perfect entrée to the world of bitters. Made from a base of grappa laced with alpine herbs, bitter orange, and botanicals, its equally at home in a cocktail as it is served neat.
• Cynar - Pronounced “chee-NAR,” this Venetian amaro is made with artichokes and boasts a bitter, herbal, caramelly flavor. It's lovely in a rye based cocktail as well!
• Soda Water - Club soda or sparkling mineral water will work equally well here.
• Citrus Garnish - Choose your own adventure with your garnish. I love using a slice of orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit! If you have some dried citrus slices on hand, they would also be a delightful addition as a garnish.

⏲️ Substitutions & Variations

While I love this Cynar and Amaro Nonino spritz, there are plenty of amari out there to experiment with. Try an amaro angeleno spritz, amaro montenegro spritz, Aperol spritz or Campari spritz instead, or mix and match the different amari to find your own favorite version of the classic amaro spritz.

📖 Step by Step Instructions

Making my amari spritz recipe couldn’t be easier. In three steps, you'll be sipping your heart out!

Step 1: Add sparkling wine, amaro nonino, cynar, and a dash of soda water into a glass filled with ice. 

Step 2: Garnish with the citrus of your choosing.

Step 3: Enjoy. Cheers!

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Make clear ice. Clear ice isn’t just pretty to look at, it’s also denser than regular ice which means it takes longer to dilute your cocktails. To make it, simply boil water to remove dissolved oxygen and other impurities and pour it into a specialized directional freezing ice mold, then freeze for a minimum of 24 hours. NOTE: You can also use a regular silicone ice mold, but since the water will be freezing in multiple directions it won’t be *quite* as perfect as if you used a clear ice mold.
• Learn the basic spritz ratio. You’ll want about 3 parts sparkling wine to 2 parts liqueur and 1 part soda plus a splash of acidity and plenty of ice. In this recipe, that’s 3 oz sparkling wine, 1 oz each amaro (for a total of 2 oz), 1 oz soda, and a round or wedge of whatever citrus you prefer.

💭 Recipe FAQs

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