As the hot summer nights roll in and with them flocks of keen partygoers ready to socialise in the wake of a post-covid draught, keeping up to date with cocktail trends of this season is the most valuable mixer behind the bar.
Let’s face it, we’ve all been there, tasked with the impossible, making a drink we’ve simply never heard of. As every year passes, the cocktail trend forecast shifts and sometimes it’s hard to keep up.
Once bitten and twice shy, we’re here to make life just a little easier this summer and give you the ins and outs of 2022’s hottest cocktail: The Spritz.
With its origins tracing back to the northern region of Italy, the Spritz was a purpose-crafted cocktail requested by German soldiers passing through the country during the late 1800s. The soldiers often requested the wine of the region, which was far stronger and richer than the beer they were used to, to be diluted with a dash of water.
The German translation for a dash of water, believe it or not, is “spritz”, giving the drink its namesake and cementing it as the drink of choice for many for years to come.
Over time, the Spritz has evolved, often mixed with bitters or soda, making it the perfect companion for wine lovers around the globe who want to shake things up. Today, all spritzes served will be sparkling, a twist on the historic concoction that first appeared in the 20th century.
Today, most of us know and love the Aperol Spritz, the classic albeit iconic drink that captured the attention and quenched the thirst of drinkers across the world. Particularly in the US, the Aperol Spritz is the go-to cocktail for many a partygoer, being the popular choice in bars across the 50 states.
The origin of the Aperol Spritz can be dated back to the Italian art movement, where a rebellious new generation steadfast in rejecting the old ways and embracing the new and unexpected began searching for innovative ways to put their stamp on the classic and disrupt the status quo.
New ingredients quickly began flooding the unaltered icon and a wave of exciting new adaptations and evolutions of the spritz quickly became the new trend of the new generation.
With an abundance of art and futurism captivating youth culture, mundane and dull-looking beverages simply wouldn’t suffice and failed to captivate a young audience. In the pursuit of futurism, rebellion and art, colourful and extravagant mixers began finding their way into the classic spritz.
Amongst other mixers, Aperol quickly became a new favourite addition to the spritz. The bright orange bitter made of gentian, rhubarb and cinchona ticked all the boxes for the rebellious new crowd.
Beautiful and exciting in its palette, both colour and taste, the Aperol Spritz was born and stated its case as one of the most beloved drinks in history.
To brush up on your bar techniques, try an online class with The Art Of Shaking today!
