Imagine sipping an Aperol Spritz… as the Italian sun starts to slip away to set over muted-miles-away-mountains several hazy horizons away, the air saturated with warmth, scented with jasmine and rosemary and the sound of chatter and clatter of ice on glass….
Aperol, similar to Campari, but sweeter in taste, has become the unofficial drink of Italy, and is most often now the chosen drink to kick off an evening in Italy since the post-war years, when young Italians enjoying the sense of fun and freedom afforded by peace in Europe, sipped Aperol against a sinking sun, socialising, suitably stylishly no doubt, with an Aperol aperitif.
Early Italian Aperol Poster
From this the Aperol Spritz was born, and the advent of TV advertising in the mid-20th Century meant it became an iconic Italian brand, which was reaffirmed at the turn of the 21st Century when Italian giant Gruppo Campari acquired Aperol and the cult-like coupling of iconic Italian iterations continued. Aperol is inimitably Italian and invites cocktail clinking before dinner and maybe dancing…
But, luckily for us, it is not compulsory to have a backdrop of the Italian Alps, or the Amalfi coast to partake in an Aperol Spritz, it tastes just as good in Ambleside or Abersoch, however, you may not get away with a linen lounge suit or a floaty dress, instead a fleece to fend off the brisk breeze may be the style of the hour, but think what you will have saved in aftersun! Enough for another Aperol Spritz or two!
Luckily for us, an Aperol Spritz is so easy to concoct, the Italian climate, maybe less so…
To make an Aperol Spritz:
- Serve in a highball glass
- 2 parts Aperol
- 3 parts Prosecco
- 1 Splash of soda water
- Pour ingredients in the order listed over a few large ice cubes
- Stir gently, serve with an orange wedge or twist for garnish, and enjoy
