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Whether you love a traditional spritz or tend towards a wilder libation, this August there are bubbly and sophisticated drinks to suit every taste
This summer, UK web searches for “Hugo spritz”, an elderflower-flavoured aperitif, overtook searches for “Aperol spritz” for the first time. As the spritz craze shows no sign of slowing down, pub chains are taking wild liberties, calling anything fizzy and served in a large glass over ice a spritz – and charging £10-plus for it. Echo Falls blue raspberry spritz? Pink gin spritz (Slug & Lettuce)? Raspberry vodka and honey spritz (Young’s)? Malibu cranberry spritz (Stonegate)? Mamma mia!
Traditionally, the spritz is an Italian cocktail made from prosecco, a bitter aperitif or liqueur, and a splash of soda water to keep things steady. While Venetian bartenders are more likely to judge it by eye, there is a simple 3-2-1 formula for making a spritz at home: three parts prosecco, two parts liqueur and one part soda water. I’ve gone with 75ml/50ml/25ml – keep the same ratios to make a smaller (60ml/40ml/20ml) or larger (90ml/60ml/30ml) drink. Of course, you can then adjust it to make it stronger or weaker (I have been known to leave out the soda …).