The Spritz: We Know What You Should Be Drinking This Summer
There’s a reason smart people order spritzes in the summer — they’re light, refreshing, and ridiculously easy to make (perfect for that epic backyard bash you’ve been planning[1]). And really anyone with a bottle of vermouth and some sparkling wine, or club soda, can experiment with the ratio between these two ingredients (though experts recommend two parts vermouth, one part sparkling) and any combination of fruit garnishes to come up with their own riff on the classic drink. But if you’re really smart, you’ll try the recipe behind this particularly delicious spritz, brought to us by Jorge Riera, wine director for both Wildair[2] and Contra [3]in New York City. “The right amount of bittersweet herbaceous from this vermouth, with the zippiness of the bubbles, is what makes this spritz so refreshing and addictive,” he says.
5 Cocktails to Honor St-Germain Creator Robert J. Cooper[4]
Riera uses Mauro Vergano Americano for the vermouth. “It’s a great bitter vermouth from Asti, Piedmont, made with a base wine from Grignolino grapes.” For the sparkling component, he opts for Petillant Naturel — natural sparkling white wine often shortened to “Pet’Nat” — made from Chenin grapes. “A dry Chenin base sparkling wine is great because the bracing acidity and crispness is the perfect complement to the Vergano Americano. Vermouths have varying amounts of sweetness and herbals, so it’s best to mix it with bubbles that are quite dry and have bright acidity.” He uses Pet’Sec Pet’Nat, but if you don’t have a natural sparkling white at your disposal, just stick to any dry Prosecco or cava.
Lastly, an orange twist to bring out all the flavors.
“All the naturally made components of this spritz — the freshness from the Pet’Nat and the Americano’s sweet herbaceous flavor profile — bring us a fresh, thirst-quenching drink. It’s just the right amount of wine-based alcohol to keep it light and make the perfect summer drink.”
How to Make The Best Brunch Cocktails [5]
VERGANO AMERICANO SPRTIZ
- 2/3 Americano Vergano Vermouth
- 1/3 Pet’Sec Pet’Nat
- 3 cubes of Ice
- orange twist
Build in wine glass, stir.
References
- ^ backyard bash you’ve been planning (www.mensjournal.com)
- ^ Wildair (www.wildair.nyc)
- ^ Contra (contranyc.com)
- ^ 5 Cocktails to Honor St-Germain Creator Robert J. Cooper (www.mensjournal.com)
- ^ How to Make The Best Brunch Cocktails (www.mensjournal.com)