Order a spritz at most bars right now and the follow-up question isn't "still or sparkling." It's "which one." A few summers ago spritz meant Aperol, prosecco and soda, full stop. Not anymore. Square's restaurant order data, covered by Restaurant Business in a September report, points to 2026 as the biggest spritz summer on record, and the growth isn't more of the same drink. It's the category splitting into half a dozen distinct ones.
What's on the menu at the bar
Hugo, mainstream at last. The Hugo Spritz has been a bartender favourite for years and finally broke through this summer. Elderflower liqueur instead of a bitter apertivo, so it lands softer and more floral, no orange in sight.
Aperol's still the default, just not the only one. Aperol growth has flattened while the alternatives take off: Limoncello Spritz orders up 75% year on year in the same Square data, Campari Spritz close behind at nearly 69%. Same method every time, different liqueur: sparkling wine, liqueur, soda, ice.
Watch for Sarti. Built on Sarti Rosa, a blood orange, passionfruit and mango apertivo, it's the newest entrant and the fruitiest so far. If the last two years are any guide, more like it are coming.
Spicy is creeping in. "Swicy," the sweet-and-heat trend that's already hit margaritas and espresso martinis, has reached the spritz. A chilli-infused syrup stirred through a Limoncello Spritz gives it a real finish.
What people are actually making at home
The bar trends translate fast to home bars, because a spritz needs almost nothing: sparkling wine, a liqueur, soda, ice, under a minute of effort. No jigger, no shaker, no real skill required — which is most of why it's become the drink people reach for instead of ordering out.
The one thing that matters more at home than at a bar: the bottle. Most proseccos aren't built to be mixed — anything rich or heavily autolytic gets lost the moment a liqueur hits it. What holds up is dry, fruit-forward, with real acidity behind it. Pizzolato Organic Prosecco is our prosecco of choice for exactly that reason: a certified-organic Glera from Veneto, green apple, pear and citrus on the nose, clean acidity that doesn't disappear once soda water goes in. It's what we reach for behind every recipe below.
Hugo Spritz
- 90ml Pizzolato Organic Prosecco
- 30ml St Germain elderflower liqueur
- Splash of soda water
- Fresh mint, torn to release the oils
- Lime wedge, optional
Prosecco in first so it doesn't overflow, mint last so you smell it before you taste it.
Classic Spritz (Aperol or Campari)
- 90ml Pizzolato Organic Prosecco
- 60ml Aperol or Campari
- 30ml soda water
- Orange slice
Limoncello Spritz
- 90ml Pizzolato Organic Prosecco
- 45ml limoncello
- Splash of soda water
- Lemon twist, basil if you have it
Sarti Spritz
- 90ml Pizzolato Organic Prosecco
- 60ml Sarti Rosa
- 30ml soda water
- Fresh berries or an orange wheel to garnish
Sarti Rosa is naturally sweet and fruit-forward, so it can take the full 60ml pour without tipping into syrupy — the dry prosecco underneath is what keeps it balanced.
Spicy Limoncello Spritz (the swicy one)
- 90ml Pizzolato Organic Prosecco
- 45ml limoncello
- 10ml chilli-infused simple syrup
- Splash of soda water
- Thin jalapeño slice to garnish
Shake the chilli syrup through the limoncello before it goes anywhere near the prosecco — that's what carries the heat evenly through the drink instead of leaving it sitting at the bottom of the glass.
Serving a crowd: combine prosecco and liqueur in a jug ahead of time, but hold the soda water back. Top up glass by glass as people are served — add it to the whole batch early and you're pouring flat wine by round two.
Going alcohol-free: the same low-ABV logic driving this whole trend has an endpoint at zero. Crodino, Italy's original non-alcoholic aperitivo, pours over ice with an orange slice for a genuine zero-proof spritz — same bittersweet, citrus-forward character, none of the alcohol.
FAQ
Why do spritz cocktails taste different at different bars? Because "spritz" describes a method, not a fixed drink: a liqueur, sparkling wine, soda water and ice, in that order. The liqueur is what defines the character.
Is a spritz actually low-ABV? Generally, yes. A standard glass usually sits well under 8% alcohol by volume, once the soda water's in — lighter than most glasses of wine on their own.
Can I make a spritz without soda water? You can, but at that point it's a wine cocktail, not a spritz. The soda does real work — it lightens the drink and stretches the pour.
Why does a homemade spritz sometimes taste flat compared to one at a bar? Usually the soda water. It loses carbonation fast, so a spritz built too far ahead of time goes flat before you taste it. Pour it last, pour it gently, and drink it within a few minutes.
Is there a good non-alcoholic spritz option? Yes. Crodino, Italy's original non-alcoholic aperitivo, is built specifically for this — bittersweet and citrus-forward, poured over ice with an orange slice, no prosecco or soda swap required to get the same ritual.