A Very Quick History
The spritz itself is older than Aperol. It traces back to the 1800s in Habsburg-ruled Veneto, when locals started diluting local wine with a splash of water — spritzen is German for "to spray" — to make it lighter for Austrian visitors used to weaker drinks. Aperol itself wasn't invented until 1919, in Padua, and it took until the 1970s for Prosecco to become the standard sparkling base, replacing the still wine used in earlier versions. The Aperol Spritz as most people know it today — Prosecco, Aperol, soda, ice, orange — is a relatively modern combination built on a much older Venetian habit.
None of that history is precious or fixed. The spritz has always been a build-what-you-have drink, which is exactly why swapping in rosé Prosecco isn't a departure from the tradition — it's completely in the spirit of it.
What You'll Need
Makes 1 drink. Ready in under 5 minutes.
- 3 parts Luna Nuda Prosecco Rosé
- 2 parts Aperol
- 1 part soda water
- Ice
- 1 orange slice, for garnish
How to Make It
1. Fill the glass with ice first. Use a large wine glass or a rocks glass, and fill it generously with ice before adding anything else — this matters more than it sounds like it should. Building the drink over a full glass of ice keeps it cold and properly diluted; adding ice after the liquid tends to leave the drink warm and a little flat.
2. Add the Prosecco Rosé. Pour in the Prosecco Rosé first, following the classic 3-2-1 ratio.
3. Add the Aperol. Pour the Aperol in next.
4. Top with soda water. Finish with a splash of soda water — this is what keeps the drink from tasting too sweet or too heavy on the Aperol.
5. Stir gently and garnish. A couple of gentle stirs to combine, then finish with an orange slice tucked into the glass.
How It's Different From the Classic
The classic Aperol Spritz, made with a standard straw-colored Prosecco, leans citrus-forward — the Prosecco's green-apple and lemon notes sit right alongside Aperol's bitter orange, so the whole drink reads bright and a little sharp. Swap in a rosé Prosecco and the balance shifts: the wine's strawberry and red-berry character rounds out Aperol's bitterness instead of sharpening it, so the drink comes across a little softer and more fruit-forward, without losing the bitter backbone that makes a spritz a spritz in the first place. It's a genuinely different drink, not just a different color — though the color helps, especially if you're building a drink menu or a bar cart that's meant to photograph well.
A Few Notes
The 3-2-1 ratio (Prosecco, Aperol, soda) is the standard starting point, but it's forgiving — some bars build it 3-3-1 for a stronger Aperol presence, or ease up on the soda for a boozier pour. Taste as you build it the first time and adjust from there.
Because Prosecco Rosé is the star here as much as the Aperol is, it's worth using one you'd actually want to drink on its own, not whatever's cheapest — the wine's fruit character is doing real work in the glass, not just topping it off.
Great for a Crowd
This is one of the easiest cocktails to scale into a self-serve station — set out a few bottles of Prosecco Rosé, a bottle of Aperol, a bowl of ice, and a pitcher of soda water, and let people build their own. It's the same idea behind the DIY spritz bar mentioned in our guide on Stop Serving Champagne at Your Wedding — Prosecco-based cocktails are priced and built to be served generously, which makes them a natural fit for a daytime reception, a bridal shower, or really any gathering where you don't want to be stuck behind the bar all afternoon.
Quick Answers
Does rosé Prosecco change the alcohol content of the drink?
No — Prosecco Rosé and standard Prosecco run at roughly the same ABV, so the drink's overall strength doesn't change, just the flavor and color.
Can I use Campari instead of Aperol?
Yes, though it's a different drink at that point — Campari is more bitter and less sweet than Aperol, so a Campari version will taste sharper and more herbal, especially against a fruit-forward rosé Prosecco.
What glass should I actually use?
A large wine glass (sometimes called a balloon glass) is the traditional choice and gives the ice and garnish room to breathe, but a rocks glass works fine too.
Is this the same as a rosé spritz?
Close, but not identical — some "rosé spritz" recipes swap in a different aperitivo, like a rosé vermouth or a lighter bitter, instead of Aperol. This recipe keeps Aperol as the flavoring ingredient and just changes the wine.
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Responsible drinking note: enjoy Luna Nuda wines responsibly and in moderation.