What is a spritz?
While it’s been a summer libation in Italy for decades, the spritz has become pretty ubiquitous in recent years in Australia. Traditionally made with a bitter orange alcoholic aperitif, the wine-based cocktail is drunk before dinner as an aperitif, while nibbling on a few snacks. With its refreshing taste, slightly bitter flavour profile and vibrant orange hue, it’s no wonder the Italian spritz has found a place at Aussie barbeques, parties and dinners.
The rise of non-alcoholic spritz
When did the spritz become so popular? At some point in the last 20 years, people realised how easy it was to make a cocktail that’s vibrant, fresh and a real crowd-pleaser. And for most men, the ease of making a spritz has since become a popular choice for entertaining long lunches, lazy days and arvo drinks.
Of course, an afternoon of sugary alcohol can leave you feeling pretty rough the next day. This is where alcoholic free spirits in a no booze spritz comes in handy. Delicious, refreshing, and not a splitting headache in sight. Get into the world of spritz and see how easy it is to create this sunny day winner yourself with some of our favourite varieties.
How to make the classic Italian spritz non-alcoholic
The simplest spritz recipe has just a few ingredients, but don’t let its simplicity fool you. The finished product is much greater than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 90mL orange aperitif
- 45mL Prosecco, or sweet sparkling wine
- Splash of soda water
- Slice of fresh orange
To prepare this classic non-alcoholic spritz, fill a glass with ice, then add your alcohol free orange aperitif of choice (our favourite option is Sans Bar Spritzing in Venice) and zero alcohol sparkling wine, before topping with a splash of soda and slice of fresh orange. A classic deserves a classic setting, so serve up this orange beaut in a large wine glass for the quintessential Italian spritz look.
Tip — When figuring out how to make a spritz, you may have wondered why there’s a specific order in which ingredients are added. If you follow this, the bubbles from the Prosecco will do all the mixing for you. Less fuss, less mess, just how we like it.
How to make a non-alcoholic spritz great
Now that you’ve got the good basic spritz ingredients down, you can start to experiment and take your non-alcoholic spritz to the next level. Here are our three favourite spritz recipes that elevates the classic from good to downright legendary.
Grapefruit spritz
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 90mL Lyre’s Italian Spritz
- 45mL Tempus Two Zero Prosecco
- Lightly sparkling grapefruit mineral water
- Slice of fresh grapefruit
- Sprig of thyme
Fill a wine glass with ice and add your non-alcoholic spritz Aperitif, Tempus Two alcohol free Prosecco, then fill your glass with sparkling grapefruit mineral water. Garnish with fresh grapefruit, a sprig of thyme, and serve with plenty of sunshine and mate, you’re laughing.
The bloody good spritz
This twist in the classic takes pretty literal inspiration from the bold colour of its star ingredient, Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso. Smooth, flavoured with blood orange and notes of cacao, vanilla and caramel, this bloody red cocktail is a great alternative for folks who don’t love the bitter-forward taste of a traditional spritz recipe.
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 90mL Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso
- 45mL Plus & Minus Processo
- Splash of soda water (approx. 15mL)
- Slice of blood orange, plus extra peel and sprig of rosemary to garnish
Fill a highball glass with ice, add aperitif, Prosecco, a splash of soda, then squeeze over your slice of blood orange, and garnish with a twist of orange peel and sprig of rosemary for extra colour and herbaceousness.
Tip — To really release the aroma of the blood orange and bring out the complex flavours in your Aperitif Rosso, run a flame over the peel just before you twist it over your drink, and then garnish. This releases natural oils in the skin and boosts the flavour profile in a big way. It also makes it look as though you know what you’re actually doing.
The Atletico
We’ve named this one ‘athletic’ in Italian because it’s light, nimble and super low in calories. How many calories in spritz recipes vary, but this one comes in at under 100 calories per serve. It’s the perfect choice for any marathon runner or triathlete with an early morning planned the next day.
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 90mL Palermo Amarino Non-Alcoholic Aperitif
- 45mL Gruvi Dry Secco
- Soda water, enough to fill your glass
- Slice of cucumber
In a stemless wine glass, fill with ice, then pour over Amarino, Dry Secco and a splash of soda. Cucumber is the perfect refreshing and light garnish for this dry, subtle take on an Italian Spritz.
Tip — Entertaining? You can prepare this recipe in bulk by mixing together 2:1 parts Amarino to Dry Secco in a jug. Then, pour the mixture over as many glasses full of ice as you need, before topping off with soda. You’ll want your sparkling to stay fizzy, so don’t hit play on your prep until your guests arrive.
You’ve mastered the best non-alcoholic spritz — now what?
After you’ve nailed this summer favourite cocktail, you might find your appetite for crafting celebratory drinks has been whet. If you’re ready to learn more non-alcoholic cocktail recipes and try the full range of zero alcohol spritz offerings, look no further than Craftzero.