If you’ve ever wandered through Venice, stopping only to admire the light on the canals and the tiny shops that still hold on between the souvenir stands, then you have also probably also paused to order a spritz. Unless you specifically asked for it, chances are they didn’t automatically hand you a neon-orange Aperol bomb.
I am here to tell you to skip the Aperol and go straight for the Spritz Bianco. This is the original, understated version that Venetians have been sipping for generations.
No bells, no whistles. Just crisp, bitter, slightly briny refreshment. Welcome to the real spritz.
A Brief History: Spritz in Venice
The spritz was born in the 1800s when Austrian soldiers stationed in Veneto diluted local wines with water — “spritz” coming from the German word spritzen meaning “to spray.” It was a way to make the wine more palatable to foreign tastes – but also drag out the drinking for a long night ahead. Over time, the basic formula of wine + water evolved into a more defined ritual: a splash of local white wine, topped with soda water, and optionally, a local bitter liqueur.
Before Aperol, Select, or Campari hit the scene, Venetians were drinking what we now call Spritz Bianco essentially just a dry local white wine, some fizz, and maybe an olive. That’s it.
The appeal still holds today whenever you may find yourself in Venice (or anywhere, honestly). But a Spritz Bianco is really made to be drunk in quantity while standing at a bacaro with cicchetti in hand.
The Traditional Venetian Spritz Bianco
Forget the neon orange-hued marketing machine. A true Spritz Bianco is all about simplicity.
Ingredients:
– 2 parts dry white wine (typically a local Veneto varietal like Soave, Pinot Grigio
– 1 part sparkling water or soda water
– Ice
– Optional but recommended: A green olive and a slice of lemon
How to make it at home:
1. Fill a short glass, tumbler, or wine glass with ice
2. Pour in the white wine.
3. Top with sparkling water—enough to lighten it but not drown it.
4. Add a green olive if you want to go full Venetian.
5. Stir gently, if at all.
Easy, right? It’s just a drink. A very good, very Venetian drink. Dry, crisp, refreshing, and low-ABV.
Other versions of the spritz
In Venice, “spritz” is more of a template than a recipe. Bartenders will often ask, “Con cosa?” (With what?) when you order a spritz, and here’s what they mean:
- Spritz Bianco– just wine + fizzy water
- Spritz con Aperol – the spritz that ultimately conquered the world, slightly sweet and citrusy
- Spritz con Select– the Venetian OG bitter, richer and more herbal
- Spritz con Campari– bold, bitter, red and slightly more alcoholic
But the Spritz Bianco? That’s what people order when they’re keeping it light, especially in the early afternoon. So next time, raise a glass to the Venetians who’ve been quietly sipping it for over a century, and enjoy the simple things done right.
If you want to read more about drinking Italian style, here’s an aperitivo guide.
