Spritz Cocktails: recipes and history | Cocktail Time

Have you ever wondered why the trendiest summer drink is Italian yet has a German name?
The spritz has a surprisingly military backstory and dates back to the 1800s when Venice was part of the Austrian Empire. During this time, Austrian soldiers, diplomats and merchants would often visit Venice but found the wine to be too strong for their taste. Soon after, they started asking the local hosts to add a splash, or in German, a “spritz,” of water to the local Italian wine to dilute the alcohol content similar to the beer or rieslings and grüner vetliners they were more accustomed to drinking. Over time (and two World Wars) the water in a spritz turned to sparkling water, and the still wine was substituted or complemented with different alcohols: herbal bitter liqueur, vermouth or prosecco.
At Clos19, we also love our spritz with vodka, cognac, Chandon sparkling wine or even champagne for an ultra-luxury twist.

Champagne Spritz Recipes

Ginger
Cucumber
Grapefruit

Ginger

Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé & Ginger

Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé
Garnish: ginger
Glass: large, wide glass

Place a few ice cubes in a large glass and add ginger.

Top up with chilled Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé and enjoy.

Cucumber

Veuve Clicquot Rich & Cucumber

Veuve Clicquot Rich
Garnish: cucumber slices
Glass: large, wide glass

Place a few ice cubes in a large glass and add cucumber slices.

Top up with chilled Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé and enjoy.

Grapefruit

Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé & Grapefruit

Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé
Garnish: grapefruit slices
Glass: large, wide glass

Place a few ice cubes in a large glass and add grapefruit slices.

Top up with chilled Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé and enjoy.

Vodka & Herbs Spritz Recipes

Cucumber & Thyme
Herbal
Mint

Cucumber & Thyme

Belvedere Gurken & Thymian Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL dry vermouth
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: 3 cucumber ribbons, 1 fresh thyme sprig
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with cucumber ribbons and fresh thyme.

Herbal

Belvedere Herbal Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL Italian bitter liqueur
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: fresh rosemary stem, orange slice
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice, top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with fresh rosemary and orange slice.

Mint

Belvedere Mint Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL Italian bitter liqueur
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: fresh mint
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water. Garnish with fresh mint.

Vodka & Citrus Spritz Recipes

Citrus
Grapefruit

Citrus

Belvedere Citrus Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka or Belvedere Citrus Vodka
30 mL dry vermouth
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: lemon and lime slices
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with lemon and lime slices.

Grapefruit

Belvedere Pink Grapefruit Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Grapefruit Vodka
30 mL French white wine liqueur
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: pink grapefruit, fresh rosemary
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice.

Garnish with wedges of pink grapefruit and sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Vodka & Tropical Fruit Spritz Recipes

Mango
Peach Nectar
Peach

Mango

Belvedere Mango Passion Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL Italian bitter
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: slices of fresh mango, sprigs of fresh basil
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with slices of fresh mango and sprigs of fresh basil.

Peach Nectar

Belvedere Peach Nectar Spritz

45mL Belvedere Vodka
30mL sweet vermouth
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: Peach & sprig of thyme
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with slices of peach and a sprig of thyme.

Peach

Belvedere Peach Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL Semi-Sweet Vermouth
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: 3 Peach Slices, vanilla pod
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with 3 peach slices and a vanilla pod

Vodka & Spice Spritz Recipes

Ginger
Star Anis

Ginger

Belvedere Ginger Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Grapefruit Vodka
30 mL sweet vermouth
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: 1 fresh ginger slice, 2 orange slices
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with ginger and orange slices.

Star Anis

Belvedere Spiced Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL sweet vermouth
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: 2 orange slices and 2 star anis
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice.

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with star anis and orange slices.

Vodka & Red Fruits Recipes

Cherry
Wild Berry

Cherry

Belvedere Cherry Spritz

45 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL Dash maraschino liqueur
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: 3 lemon slices and 1 maraschino cherry
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with 3 lemon slices and 1 maraschino cherry.

Wild Berry

Belvedere Wild Berry Spritz

30 mL Belvedere Vodka
30 mL LBV Port
Sparkling water
Tonic water
Garnish: strawberry, orange & cucumber
Glass: Belvedere Spritz glass

Combine all ingredients in a Spritz glass, filled with ice

Top with equal parts of sparkling water and tonic water.

Garnish with slices of fresh strawberry and orange, and ribbons of cucumber.

Sparkling Wine Spritz Recipes

Elderflower
Watermelon Rosé
Citrus

Elderflower

Chandon Elderfizz Spritz

90 mL Chandon Brut
30 mL Elderflower Liqueur
Garnish: Lemon Twist
Glass: Wine glass

Add elderflower liqueur to the wine glass and slowly pour in Chandon at an angle.

Garnish with a lemon twist.

Watermelon Rosé

Chandon Watermelon Rosé Spritz

120 mL Chandon Rosé
60 mL Watermelon Juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
Garnish: Fresh mint and a lime wheel
Glass: Wine Glass

Fill wine glass with watermelon juice and slowly pour in Chandon at an angle.

Garnish with fresh mint and a lime wheel speared through.

Citrus

Chandon 75

30 mL Belvedere Pure
15 mL Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
15 mL Simple Syrup
90 mL Chandon Brut
Garnish: Lemon Twist
Glass: Wine Glass

Shake all ingredients in shaker tin except Chandon.

Strain into glassware and top with Chandon.

Garnish with Lemon Wheel.

Cognac Spritz Recipes

Hennessy Summer Spritz

30 mL Hennessy VS or VSOP cognac
20 mL elderflower liqueur
7.5 mL fresh squeezed lemon juice
Chandon Brut or Moët Chandon Brut Imperial
Soda
Garnish: lemon wheel
Glass: Highball

Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine and soda to a shaker tin with ice and shake until chilled, strain into a highball glass with fresh ice.

Top with equal parts sparkling wine or champagne, and soda

Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Cocktail time