MINNEAPOLIS -- Long before becoming a global Instagram sensation, the spritz had humble, effervescent roots in the northern regions of Italy, where locals mastered the art of turning a simple drink into a ritual that embodies la dolce vita.

At its core, the spritz cocktail has become synonymous with effortless elegance and sociable sipping; a celebration of balance, where bitter and sweet flavors meet the playfulness of bubbles. Traditionally, a spritz combines a bitter liqueur, a splash of sparkling wine, soda water and plenty of ice, often garnished with a slice of citrus.

In recent years, the spritz has experienced a renaissance. The Aperol Spritz has dominated cocktail menus and social media feeds, becoming a “drink of the summer” not just in Italian cities, but in cities around the world. Its popularity has been fueled by clever marketing, the drink’s versatility and the growing appetite for lower-alcohol cocktails.

Bartenders and home enthusiasts alike have embraced the spritz. It’s easy to make and easy to drink. What’s not to love?

The spritz can vary by region or bartender, but the modern classic — most famously the Aperol Spritz — follows a simple 3-2-1 ratio: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts bitter apéritif (like Aperol, Campari or Select) and 1 part soda water.

While the formula is deceptively simple, it disguises a world of creativity.

Tea time

Jake Jarecki, the bar manager at Pink Ivy Kitchen & Bar in Hopkins, Minnesota, puts that creative spark to work by always including a spritz on the restaurant’s cocktail menu.

This summer, it’s the Earl Grey Duck Spritz, a name inspired by the Minnesota version of the popular children’s game. The drink itself, though, is not child’s play.

“Whenever I’m developing a spritz for the restaurant, I start out with a really good, well-balanced cocktail,” says Jarecki. In this case, that cocktail includes tea-infused vodka, honey syrup and a splash of lemon juice. “Then I turn it into a spritz by adding bubbles.”

In almost every spritz, those bubbles are a combination of soda water and prosecco, a nod to the cocktail’s Italian roots. And it’s usually the bubbles that make the drink refreshing and light, but that’s not always the case.

The dark side

At Red Rabbit, you’ll find the Midnight Spritz on the extensive spritz menu, and it takes a decidedly darker turn thanks to Italy’s wide varieties of amaro — and beverage director Ian Lowther.

Amaro is a bittersweet Italian herbal liqueur known for its complex, often bitter, and slightly sweet flavor profile. It’s typically made with a blend of botanicals, including herbs, roots, spices and citrus peels. Each brand of amaro (like Aperol and Campari) has its own recipe, resulting in a wide range of flavors and colors.

“In Italy, amaro can be anywhere from very light to very dark in color and flavor, and Italians drink with the sun,” Lowther said. “The darker the sky, the darker the spirit.”

Welcome to the Midnight Spritz.

Red Rabbit’s dark, sexy cocktail starts as most do, with amaro. In this case it’s Cynar, which is made with a blend of herbs and plants. But the artichoke ( Cynara scolymus ) is the most prominent and gives the liqueur its name. Lavender syrup and a little lemon is added, and the drink is topped off with the sparkling red wine Lambrusco instead of prosecco. The result is darker than most spritz cocktails, but still delightfully refreshing, even when the sun is shining.

Combining classics

While the Aperol spritz may be the most popular classic Italian effervescent drink, the negroni might be its most iconic cocktail.

Known for its bitter and sophisticated flavor profile, negronis are typically made with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, and it makes the perfect base for a spritz. That’s why Robb Jones, bar director at ie - Italian Eatery by Travail, includes a Negroni Sbagliato — negroni with bubbles — on the spritz menu. (Jones also owns Meteor bar in Minneapolis.)

“Balance is key to any cocktail, and our negroni is a beautiful balance between alcohol, acidity, sweetness and bitterness,” says Jones, who finds bitterness to be one of the most important elements to consider when developing a cocktail. “Without bitterness, every other flavor would be one note. The bitterness pushes the other flavors forward.”

Going spirit-free

The term “spritz” can be applied to a wide variety of beverages, and not all have alcohol. At Diane’s Place in Minneapolis, you’ll find a nonalcoholic rhubarb spritz (called Rhuby Tuesday) on the menu. And it happened organically, as many things do for chef-owner Diane Moua.

When Moua was the lucky recipient of several cases of rhubarb, delivered by her father from his small family farm, she immediately turned that bounty into a spiced rhubarb compote to use in one of her memorable pastries.

To use the compote in baking, Moua had to drain off the excess liquid, which created a flavorful syrup. Not one to let something so tasty go waste, Moua gave the rhubarb syrup to bar manager Sarah Atkinson, who turned it into a sophisticated version of an Italian soda by mixing it with a little lime juice and soda water.

So why turn it into a spritz? “We’re all a little dehydrated in the summer,” Atkinson says, “and all you really need for a good spritz is a sunny day, a little bit of ice cold bubbles, and maybe a patio.”

Which is why, more than any other drink, a good spritz tastes like the essence of summer. A spritz offers more than refreshment — it invites a pause, a moment of connection and a taste of la dolce vita, whether you’re enjoying a late afternoon aperitivo in Rome or at a backyard patio with these DIY recipes for Earl Grey Duck Spritz, Midnight Spritz, Negroni Sbagliato and Rhuby Tuesday Spritz.

Pink Ivy’s Earl Grey Duck Spritz

Makes 1 cocktail.

While this fun and inventive cocktail from Jake Jarecki at Pink Ivy takes a couple of steps to make, they are both ultra quick and easy and well worth the effort.

6 to 8 blueberries

3 tbsp. (1.5 oz.) Earl Grey vodka (see recipe)

2 tbsp. (1 oz.) honey syrup (see recipe)

1 ½ tbsp. (.75 oz.) lemon juice

4 tbsp. (2 oz.) prosecco

Soda water

Lemon slice, for garnish

Directions

Muddle the blueberries in a cocktail shaker. Add the vodka, honey syrup and lemon juice and several ice cubes and shake for 10 seconds. Pour into a wine glass. Add more ice, pour in the prosecco and top with soda water. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Earl Grey Vodka

Makes 1 liter.

Feel free to cut this recipe for tea-infused vodka in half, but keep in mind that any leftovers could change your Arnold Palmer game forever!

1 liter vodka

8 bags Earl Grey tea

Directions

Pour vodka into a pitcher. Add tea bags and steep for 20 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.

Honey Syrup

Makes 1 cup.

½ c. honey

½ c. hot water

Directions

In a measuring cup, stir together the honey and hot water until well combined. Cool.

Red Rabbit’s Midnight Spritz

Makes 1 cocktail.

Looking for a unique spritz that incorporates a dark, full-flavored amaro? This drink recipe from Ian Lowther of Red Rabbit has you covered with a spritz that’s as lovely to look at as it is to drink. Cynar is an Italian apéritif and is widely available.

4 tsp. (.66 oz.) lavender syrup (see recipe)

4 tsp. (.66 oz.) lemon juice

2 tbsp. (1 oz.) Cynar

½ c. (4 oz.) Lambrusco

3 tbsp. (1 ½ oz.) soda water

Lemon wheel, for garnish

Directions

Mix the lavender syrup, lemon juice and Cynar together in a wine glass, add ice. Top with Lambrusco and soda water. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Lavender Syrup

Makes about 2 ¼ cups.

1 c. water

2 c. sugar

2 tbsp. dried lavender flowers

Directions

Bring water to a boil and add sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in lavender flowers. Chill in refrigerator overnight. Strain out lavender flowers and store syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.

IE’s Negroni Sbagliato

Makes 1 cocktail.

For a spritz that couldn’t be easier or more refreshing, look no further than Italian Eatery’s version of this classic cocktail from Robb Jones.

1 tbsp. (.5 oz.) Campari

1 tbsp. (.5 oz.) London dry gin

2 tbsp. (1 oz.) Italian sweet vermouth

Prosecco

Soda water

Orange peel

Directions

Pour the Campari, gin and vermouth into an ice-filled wine glass. Top with prosecco and soda water, to taste. Squeeze a 1-inch strip of orange peel over the glass and drop into the cocktail as garnish.

Diane’s Place Rhuby Tuesday Spritz

Makes 1 cocktail.

You won’t miss the alcohol in the light and fruity NA spritz from Sarah Atkinson of Diane’s Place.

1.5 oz rhubarb syrup (see below)

0.75 lime juice

Soda water

Directions

Mix the rhubarb syrup and lime juice together in a wine glass. Add ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a spoonful of the cooked rhubarb (from the syrup) or a slice of lime.

Rhubarb Syrup

Makes about 1 cup.

Diane’s Place uses the leftover syrup from making their rhubarb compote. It has cinnamon, ginger, coriander, vanilla and orange zest in the mix. Feel free to add any or all of these ingredients to the pot while you’re cooking your syrup. Or experiment with your own favorite flavors.

4 c. chopped rhubarb

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. water

Directions

Combine rhubarb, sugar and water together in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the rhubarb through the strainer until most of the liquid is in the bowl. Press the solids a little with the back of a spoon to extract more syrup.

If desired, save the cooked rhubarb to use for baking or as a garnish for the drink. Store syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.

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