Put Some Italian Style In Your Cocktail Hour

Summer is drawing to a close, but Italian spritzes are just heating up

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If you can’t get to Italy in what’s left of the summer, you can be transported with these signature cocktails from venerated venues in some of Italy’s most iconic locales. Putting on the spritz doesn’t require crossing time zones—just get out your metric measuring cup and check out your favorite spirits store for ingredients. And, if you want to drink and read in context, check out our recommendations for summer reading.

From The Place Firenze (Florence), a newly renovated lux hotel overlooking the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, known for the medieval church and its apothecary garden dating from the early 1200s. The preferred elixir in this recipe is from that apothecary, from Officina Profumo Santa Maria Novella, but you can substitute any other similar rose elixer.

The Lady

20 ml Campari

15 ml Elixir of Roses

15 ml Aperitivo Select

15 ml Chambord

15 ml Cointreau

110 ml Prosecco

1 Dash of tonic water

Peychaud’s Bitter

Candied orange or edible flowers

Mix it: Combine all the liquid ingredients in a glass over ice and stir. Garnish with a candied orange for taste and edible flowers for presentation.

Read: A Room with a View by E.M. Forster; The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli; The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone; The Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy

From Borgo dei Conti Resort (Perugia), a luxury resort located in the heart of Umbria. Opened in summer 2024 with a décor inspired by Renaissance painters such as Pietro Perugino and Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael. Its fine-dining venue is Cedri.

Umbrian Saffron Spritz

90 ml Sparkling Wine (Classic Method Brut Arnaldo Caprai – Montefalco – Umbria)

60 ml Saffron Liqueur L’AMOR (Terre di Confine – Città della Pieve – Umbria)

30 ml Natural Soda Water

La Galvanina

Mix it: Pour wine and then saffron liqueur into an ice-filled glass. Top with soda water and garnish with lemon peel and thyme.

Read: Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center by Michelle Damiani; My House in Umbria by William Trevor; The Lady in the Palazzo by Marlena di Blasi; Ratking by Michael Dibdin

From Londra Palace, Venezia (Venice). Opened in 1853, this historic 52-room palazzo is known for its iconic 100-window facade overlooking the San Marco Basin. The LPV bar is the cozy and casual place for pre-sunset spritz.

The Achille Spritz

120 ml Prosecco

70 ml Aperol

100 ml Ginger beer

2-3 drops of Tabasco sauce

Slice of cucumber

Mix it: Fill a glass with ice and add 2 to 3 drops of Tabasco sauce.

Pour in the Prosecco, followed by Aperol, then top with ginger beer. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and enjoy this spicy twist on a classic Italian summer special.

Read: Death in Venice, by Thomas Mann; Don’t Look Now by Daphne du Maurier; The Wings of The Dove by Henry James; Venice by Jan Morris