VENETIAN SPRITZ - Select Aperitivo, Aperol, Campari OR Cynar!?

The Spritz originates back to the 1800s. The Austrians felt the Italian wine was too strong so they served it with a splash of sparkling water. The Spritz then evolved into the Venetian Spritz, incorporating the bitter component - bitter liqueurs including Select, Aperol, Campari or Cynar. The Venetian Spritz has transformed over the years and is now commonly made using a sparkling white (Prosecco) and is garnished with an orange slice.

There are a number of recipes calling for a skewered olive too but this is mostly rejected by the Italian community and bartenders.

The Select Spritz was apparently the original bitter of choice for the Venetian Spritz until closer to the 1950s. Campari bought Aperol in the early 2000s and heavily marketed the Aperol Spritz as it’s Signature Cocktail - cementing it as the bitter liqueur of choice for the Venetian Spritz.

Traditionally the spritz was most likely served in a tumbler but a large wine glass is the drinking vessel of choice these days.

INGREDIENTS
- 90ml Prosecco (3 oz)
- 60ml Bitter Liqueur (2 oz)
- 30ml Sparkling Water (1 oz)

METHOD
1. Fill a large wine glass with ice
2. Add the liqueur, prosecco and a splash of sparkling water
3. Garnish with a slice of orange

[StevetheBartender_]

As with a lot of cocktails, people can get quite particular about how exactly the Spritz is made despite being comprised of only 3 ingredients. Hopefully you find this video helpful and make sure you try Select Aperitivo and the Cynar Spritz!! Want to learn more? Check out the books listed below...

[nerriliesquires]

I was served an Aperol Spritz in Venice a few weeks ago with a skewered olive

[caste]

So glad of seeing Cynar (and also Select) on this list and your appreciation of this absolutely underrated version of the Spritz.
I live in Veneto, Spritz is part of our culture and it's probably not even considered as a cocktail by most of the people living here (especially the older ones) and one of the best thing in general is that it has so many version that it can be easily loved by anyone. Select is our original version and we are so proud of that that we can't really totally stand the Aperol one (yes, we drink it, but it's the lesser appreciated version at all)
Here we tend to consume more bitter version of it: lot of Select and Campari (instead of Aperol we surely love more this version), but there is a little, very specific and unknown version that, for me, is absolutely astonishing: the Cynar one.
Cynar was originally made by a liquor distillery in Padua and it become very popular in this city to twist the original Select/Aperol/Campari Spritz with the Cynar version (or even half Cynar, half Select/Campari).
I graduate at the University of Padua and I live in a small town in the province of Padua, so Cynar Spritz it's a very common way to drink this cocktail here, but you can easily go about 10 km far from my town and people doesn't even know that you can make Spritz with Cynar and this is, as I mentioned before, the beauty of this cocktail: you can make it as you prefer.
Personally: Cynar is probably the best version at all! <3
Much appreciation and love from Veneto, Italy: you are a good, totally approved, "Spritz (Cynar) guy". <3

[markwilson]

Fun fact: I learned while visiting Venice that the locals call the half-and-half mix of Aperol and Campari the "Spritz Indeciso" which translates to indecisive.

[Tencarz]

As a venetian bartender, I feel so proud of you! Keep doing what you do 'cause you are the best ❤️

[Auriorium]

It doesn't matter with what you start making your drink.
As long as the first thing is a glass, otherwise you will be wet and without a drink.

[jonnyfussball]

long time viewer, first time commenter.. just returned from Venice, and every spritz was garnished with an olive. delicious!

[Pietro]

Great video, very accurate, a bit of background about spritz: the thing is, that here in Italy, even though Spritz is a cocktail, most of the time we don't consider it in that way. It's more like something to drink, instead of a beer or a glass of wine and not as strong as a cocktail, usually for the aperitivo time, that is before lunch and dinner. It's really "normal" to drink one of those, maybe also because prosecco is from nord-est of Italy, so without shipping it, the price for a spritz it's also much more affordable instead of a cocktail or even a glasses of wine. It's like a tradition, so even for this, is one of the most iconic cocktail in Italy....
...P.s. Sorry for my level of english.

[SCP-zpjz]

My thirst for bartending knowledge had been satisfied. Thank you fellow bartender.

[kidoctane]

Just come across this YT - awesome. I am of Italian heritage and we did a huge 7 week trip back in 2008 starting in Veneto. Seemed like every afternoon at about 5pm all the town was out in the piazzas drinking this weird bright orange drink. I asked what it was Sprtiz !! And me and my wife were hooked. Almost every afternoon we went for Spritz O'clock and the La Dolci Viva !!

Back home we have carried on the tradition when friends are over in Summer, have tgried some variations but not that Cynar (I have some)

Cin Cin

[lalanguetube]

the Select Spritz is more common in Venezia.
3 parts still white wine, 2 parts Select, 1 part sparkling water (or soda water), 1 or 3 olives
the Aperol Spritz is from Padova
3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, 1 part soda water (or sparkling water), a slice of orange and a lemon peel, some dashes of Cynar (optional)
The Campari is from Milano. There are too many recipes with Campari: Campari col bianco (Campari Soda + sparkling white wine), bianchino spruzzato (still white wine with some dashes of Bitter Campari), Negroni Sbagliato...
The Cynar... try to sub the Cynar with Rabarbaro Zucca (same recipe)

[infernal_tulip]

All the Spritz I had while living in Venice had an olive. I prefer that rather than a slice of orange.

[boozeontherocks]

Four Sprtizt's? Good now I can try the two that look like you actually enjoyed them. The Select and the Cynar. Great video Steve.

[Sinnistering]

I really love this style of video! I think this sort of thing can be done with other videos too. Different Vermouths in Manhattans, Whiskey in Old Fashioneds, Gins in Martinis, etc. It's especially good for the audience because this type of brand-by-brand difference isn't something most of us have a ton of experience with, and it also lets you make videos that sit in that sweet spot of 10-12min (imo, that's the best length for this content).

[sundownerjames]

Nice to see Select used . I've been wondering about buying a bottle of it.

[ursonate]

I went to Milan earlier this year and came back obsessed with the Cynar spritz.

[richardjohnson]

For my Aperol spritzes.. I add fresh squeezed sweet ruby red grapefruit juice before I add the Prosecco. The slight bitterness of grapefruit goes great with the Aperol. Then I use a slice of blood orange for garnish.

[tiwenekaimoana]

The whole ice after liquids is from my knowledge to stop the wine glass breaking the bar I work in our wine glasses are pretty thin and the large cubes easily break our glasses if you dump them in without liquid

[TheTribalBarGuy]

Wow that video opened a complete new world for me.
So nice!

[MarkRovelli]

When in Italy a few years ago, came across the Hugo Spritz (don't recall if it was in Florence or Rome), anyway, made with elderflower syrup, lime, mint leaves, and prosecco. Tasty! The Aperol Spritz was all over Venice and that was the first time I ever seen it. Great mid-afternoon drink while watching the gondolas!