Welcome drink

Benvenuti a tutti!

What better way is there to celebrate a new blog than a nice Italian aperitivo? It’s light, it’s cool, it’s tasty, and it’s perfect to titillate your taste buds before enjoying a good home-cooked dinner…

As a student in Venice, most of my post-lesson late afternoons were spent with my fellow classmates in a bar over a glass or two (or three or four or five – or, sometimes, one too many) of local favourite: spritz!

Spritz is a very popular cocktail in the whole north-eastern Italy and it is basically made by mixing dry white wine (vino bianco fermo, even though some people prefer prosecco) with a reddish-orangey coloured liquor (usually Bitter Campari, Aperol, or Select) and sparkling water, but each city – and each bacaro (Venetian for bar) has their own recipe.

Spritz:

1/3 white wine

1/3 Bitter Campari, or Aperol, or Select

1/3 sparkling water

In a short tumbler glass, mix everything and serve on ice cubes, garnishing with a green olive and a slice of lemon (if you are using Bitter Campari or Select) or orange (for spriss all’apero).

Cin cin!