A History of the Spritz

What’s in a name?

The word spritz originates from German meaning ‘splash’ or ‘sparkling’. It is also a nod to the spritzer which is an Austrian drink made with equal parts white wine and and soda water.

A Delicious Discovery

The spritz was created during the time that Venice was part of the Austrian Empire in the 1800s. During this time, the Austrian soldiers, diplomats and merchants would visit Venice and although they loved the taste and wide variety of Italian wines, they were not accustomed to the high alcohol content. They soon started asking the local hosts to ‘spritz’ the wine with water to dilute the alcohol content of the drink so they could still enjoy the wine without getting drunk too quickly.

Carbonated water then became available in the 1900s which revolutionized the drink to become a sparkling spritz even with still wine. This development made the spritz more appealing to a wider range of people such as the Austrian Noblewomen who enjoyed the sparkling spritz as it added a touch of glamour to the drink.

The spritz has now evolved to also include some kind of liqueur as well as prosecco and sparkling water. Each town and establishment has its own interpretation of the spritz’s composition and presentation which makes it an exciting drink to taste everywhere you go because it is always different.

December Cocktail of the Month

We are celebrating the humble spritz by awarding it the title of Cocktail of the Month for December 2017. We will be using Aperol in our spritz to make it an Aperol Spritz. The Aperol Spritz is especially refreshing for a hot summer’s day while you’re lounging around with friends. It is a social drink that is easily paired with fresh seafood or a crisp salad and some duck fat chips.

Book a table to taste our take on the classic Aperol Spritz.