Cocktails & Dreams
TRAVEL
Getting lit on Aperol Spritz
The place, Sardinia, Italy. The year, 2013. The drink, Aperol Spritz.
On a shabby make-shift terrasse, I sip my first bitter, citrus, prosecco-infused Aperol Spritz and lick salt from my potato chip varnished fingers.
The chips, complimentary.
The company, my sister Andie, and her friend Amy.
The old drunk Italian men beside us, entertainment.
The hangover, worth it.
Salt and bubbles. A combination, I for one, can not refuse!
Free salty snacks = thirst = higher bar tab.
The Aperol history is of interest to me because my mother was born, and our relatives still reside, in the Veneto region of northern Italy where it was first bottled. You can read more here about the origins of vibrant orange coloured Aperol created in 1919, by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri.
Nearly ten years later, sipping an Aperol Spritz, is as common at family dinners as my mother’s Italian wedding soup and cherry cheesecake.
So how do you make one? But, more importantly, what chips do you pair it with?
Plain or salted chips, bougie Ruffles are a top choice, but no-name brand works. The key is plain flavoured, you don’t want any extravagant seasoning messing with a refreshing taste.
Over ice pour …
3 oz. Aperol
3 oz. Prosecco
1 oz. (a splash) sparkling water
Garnish with an orange slice!
Salute! Cin cin!