Aperol spritz alternatives to try this summer
Swap the classic aperitif for ginger beer or limoncello for a refreshing twist

Easy to make and wonderfully refreshing, there's a reason the spritz is a staple of summer cocktail menus. Made using the simple three-two-one ratio of prosecco, aperitif and soda water, the Italian cocktail is remarkably straightforward to replicate at home.
The story behind the spritz dates back to the 1800s, according to Olivia White in Vine Pair. That's when Austrian soldiers in the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia began diluting Italian wines with a splash of soda water to "make them more palatable".
It wasn't until 1919, though, that Aperol made its debut in Padua. The recipe for the orange-coloured aperitif took the Barbieri brothers seven years to perfect – and remains intact to this day. By the 1960s, the winning formula for the Aperol spritz had been nailed down, and the ingredients for the cocktail began making their way into drinks cabinets across the globe.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Demand is showing no signs of slowing down, either. In 2023 alone, Campari Group's Aperol sales soared by 23.1%, said The Spirits Business, and have quintupled in the last decade.
While the Aperol iteration is arguably the most famous spritz of all, in recent years mixologists have been putting their own twist on the classic drink. "As iconic as it is," said Chadner Navarro in Vogue, "there isn't actually a rigid recipe for what counts as a spritz – and maybe that's part of its timeless allure."
For a "more citrus-forward" take, Renato Marco Tonelli, the beverage training director at Dante in New York and Beverly Hills, told Vogue to swap Aperol for Select Aperitivo that's been pre-blended with rhubarb amaro and blood-orange gin. Instead of "plain-Jane soda water", the recipe "amps up the acidity" with a splash of blood-orange soda mixed with balsamic vinegar.
If you're looking for something a bit easier, BBC Good Food shared two simple recipes: one swaps Aperol for a glug of limoncello and a sprig of fresh thyme; the other replaces the vibrant aperitif with a heady mix of ginger beer and golden ale.
Finally, for a "sweet and crisp" take on a spritz, Amy Beecham in Stylist advised replacing Aperol with St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Top the fruity spirit with prosecco, soda and a wedge of orange for an easy-drinking cocktail ideal for a balmy summer night.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
Book reviews: 'The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip' and 'Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service'
Feature The tech titan behind Nvidia's success and the secret stories of government workers
By The Week US
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin America
Feature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
By The Week US
-
How to see the Lyrid meteor shower
The explainer A nice time to look to the skies
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Horse around across the globe with these liberating horse-centric activities
The Week Recommends These graceful animals make any experience better
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
7 tranquil hotels worth the (sometimes extreme) trek
The Week Recommends Find serenity off the beaten path
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
6 trackers to help you find everything from your keys to your kids
The Week Recommends These devices offer accuracy and ease
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
6 stellar noctourism adventures
The Week Recommends After the sun sets, the fun begins
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
7 nightlife destinations that are positively electric
The Week Recommends Accra, Seoul, Berlin: These are a few of the cities that come alive after dark
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
The perfect picnic is a grass patch away with this collection of 8 essential portables
The Week Recommends Celebrate warmer weather by dining alfresco
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Unlocking the wonders of Bhutan
The Week Recommends Exploring this Himalayan nation has never been easier
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
6 hotels with amenities that blow the usual gifts out of the water
The Week Recommends You can have a butler walk your dog and a guitar sent to your room. But you cannot have your guitar walked.
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US