Hey guys, welcome to the first episode in a new series of videos
I call cocktails of the world where I'll be showcasing different cocktails from different regions from around the globe
If you've got an idea for a cocktail for this series, go ahead and leave a comment
First up, we're gonna be doing a summer classic from Italy: the Aperol Spritz
Okay. So what is a spritz exactly? Well, typically it is bubbly usually with soda water or Prosecco
It's also often low alcohol
usually with a bitter liqueur and finally it's often drank as a
Pre-dinner aperitif. The spritz became popular in northern Italy in the early 20th century
But really exploded when Aperol started marketing this drink in the 1990s. Alright, I'm getting thirsty
So history time is over. Grab a wine glass with ice and we're gonna pour in two ounces or 60 mils of our bitter liqueur Aperol.
Okay now it's time for some bubbly and you really got to go Prosecco here to keep it with the Italian theme and
Look at this cute little 7 ounce bottle I got here. So we're gonna actually try to measure out 3 ounces
it's a bit tough to measure the bubbles, but I'm a stickler for
Precision so we're gonna do 3 ounces or 90 mils right into the glass
Then we're gonna top with 1 ounce or 30 mils of club soda, so you can use the old
Three-two-one trick to remember this three parts Prosecco two parts after all one part club soda.
We're then gonna garnish with a half orange wedge, and if you were in Venice, you might get this served with a olive
Let's just use that to stir it up a bit here, insert our sippy cylinder
But before we ruin this moment by awkwardly watching me drink, let's first transport ourselves to northern Italy. It's 8 p.m
On a warm August evening after a long day and as the Sun sets over the Venetian canals, you put down that
Tasty crostini as the waiter brings you a fresh Britt's. As you raise your glass, you
hear the bubbles dancing on the rim and notice how the orange glow of the drink matches the fiery clouds in the sky.
This is La Dolce Vita.
Or you're standing in the kitchen of an overpriced San Francisco apartment
And you know what? It's still damn tasty. Bitter sweet, refreshing, and low alcohol,
It would not be too hard to put away about five of these. What I love about the spritz is how many variations there are.
So here we're gonna make the Negroni Sbagliato, which basically means 'Mistaken Negroni,' and it involves Campari, sweet vermouth, and Prosecco
Fill a wine glass with ice and we're gonna start by adding one ounce or 30 mils of Campari
Which is more bitter and higher alcohol than Aperol. Next up, one ounce or 30 mils of sweet vermouth
Which is starting to sound a lot like a Negroni. And then the rumor goes that the bartender
Accidentally reached for Prosecco instead of gin and made this mistaken Negroni.
Here we're gonna add three ounces or 90 mils of Prosecco
Although I have seen some recipes call for just one ounce. Once again, we're gonna add in an orange slice,
Give it a quick stir to mix it all up, drop in our sippy cylinder, and let's give it a taste. Cheers.
Okay, this is super refreshing. I mean, it's definitely more bitter than the Aperol spritz
But if you like a Negroni, you're probably gonna like this. I'm diggin' the richness of that sweet vermouth
But probably wouldn't drink as many of these. All right, I'm gonna take a crack at my own variation here
So I started by infusing five quartered strawberries in about 10 ounces or 1/3 of a liter of Aperol,
Infused it in the fridge for about four days and it is smelling delightful
We're gonna take a double old-fashioned glass with a big ol rock and pour in two ounces or 60 mils of our strawberry infused Aperol
Then we're gonna add three ounces or 90 mils of sparkling Rosé, 1 ounce or 30 mils of our soda water
Now here's where things might seem a little weird, but stay with me
We're gonna add 1 bar spoon of balsamic vinegar
Now if you've ever had a shrub
But you'll know that vinegar can work really well in cocktails, and I'm thinking this balsamic's gonna pair nicely with the strawberry. All right
We're just gonna go full strawberry caprese salad here
so let's just tuck in a bunch of basil on the side and garnish with a little strawberry on the rim and
Let's see if we have a winner. Cheers!
All right, the smells pretty freakin amazing.
Oh my god.
This Is unbelievable
First you get hit with that Basil on the nose and that
Strawberry then really comes through and that vinegar, just that hint of vinegar, is really nice. Now I need to name this cocktail
Thanks for watching guys. I've uploaded a bonus video on my patreon for the Mai Tai spritz
Which came out of Smuggler's Cove and it is fantastic
and if you guys know any good Aperol spritz variations
Let me know in the comments. And if you want to learn more about this drink, I highly recommend checking out the book 'Spritz'
I've added it to my Amazon page below