Aperol Spritz recipe: the 3-2-1 ratio
The Aperol Spritz recipe is the most famous formula in Italian aperitivo, and it is deliberately easy to remember: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, 1 part soda water. In millilitres, that is 90 ml prosecco, 60 ml Aperol and 30 ml soda over a glass packed with ice, garnished with an orange slice — 180 ml of liquid per drink. The calculator above scales that to as many glasses as you need, up to twelve, and pours the glass layer by layer in the correct order: ice, prosecco, Aperol, then the soda splash. IBA lists it as an official cocktail, which is why every bar in Italy builds this Italian spritz the same way.
Aperol Spritz ingredients: the full list
For one glass: 90 ml prosecco (chilled), 60 ml Aperol, 30 ml soda water, ice to fill the glass (around four cubes) and one orange slice on the rim. That is the entire ingredient list — there is no simple syrup, no citrus juice and no shaking. The single most common mistake is going short on ice: a half-empty glass of ice melts fast and waters the spritz drink down. Fill it to the top and it stays cold and undiluted.
Which prosecco to use
The best prosecco for an Aperol Spritz is simply a dry one. Look for a brut or extra dry prosecco — Aperol already brings a good amount of sugar, so a sweeter sparkling wine tips the drink into cloying. Beyond that, an ordinary supermarket prosecco is perfectly fine and is what most Italian bars pour; this is not a cocktail that rewards an expensive bottle, since the Aperol dominates the palate anyway. What does matter is that it is properly cold and freshly opened, so the bubbles survive the build.
How to build it, step by step
Fill a large wine glass with ice, right to the rim. Pour the prosecco first — adding it after the Aperol is what makes a spritz go flat, because you end up stirring hard to combine. Then pour the Aperol over it; it is denser, so it sinks and creates that sunset gradient before you stir. Add the soda splash. Give it one gentle stir from the bottom, drop in the orange slice, and serve immediately. No shaker, no strainer.
Where the Italian spritz comes from
The spritz began in the Veneto in the 19th century, when Austrian soldiers stationed in northern Italy found the local wines too strong and asked for them to be sprayed — spritzen, in German — with water. Aperol itself was created in Padua in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers, and the pairing of the two became the drink we know today. It stayed a regional habit for decades before exploding globally in the 2000s; today the Aperol Spritz is one of the most-ordered cocktails in the world.
Please drink responsibly. Alcohol strength is an approximation based on Aperol (11% ABV) and standard prosecco (about 11% ABV), and does not account for ice melt.
Frequently asked questions
What are the ingredients of an Aperol Spritz?
90 ml prosecco, 60 ml Aperol, 30 ml soda water, ice to fill the glass and one orange slice — the classic 3-2-1 ratio. Nothing else: no syrup, no juice, no shaking.
How much alcohol is in an Aperol Spritz?
Roughly 8–9% ABV as poured. Aperol is 11% ABV and prosecco is about 11% too, so 180 ml of the 3-2-1 build works out near 9% before the ice starts melting — stronger than a beer, well below a wine.
What is the best prosecco for an Aperol Spritz?
A dry one — brut or extra dry. Aperol is already sweet, so a sweeter sparkling wine makes the drink cloying. A standard supermarket prosecco works perfectly well; an expensive bottle is wasted here, because the Aperol dominates. Just make sure it is very cold and freshly opened.
Can you make an Aperol Spritz without alcohol?
Yes. Aperol's own group makes Crodino, an alcohol-free Italian aperitivo with a very similar bittersweet orange profile, and there are several other alcohol-free aperitivo bitters on the market. Combine one of those with an alcohol-free prosecco or sparkling wine, keep the same 3-2-1 ratio, ice and orange slice, and you get a spritz drink that is very close to the original.
What glass is an Aperol Spritz served in?
A large wine glass (a big-bowled balloon glass), filled to the top with ice. Not a flute and not a tumbler: the wide bowl releases the orange aromatics, and the volume of ice is what keeps it from diluting.
What is the 3-2-1 rule for a spritz?
Three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, one part soda water. In practice: 90 / 60 / 30 ml. It is the IBA-official Italian spritz formula and scales cleanly — a 750 ml bottle of prosecco makes about eight drinks.
How many Aperol Spritz does one bottle of prosecco make?
About 8 drinks per 750 ml bottle, at 90 ml each. For those eight you would need roughly 480 ml of Aperol and 240 ml of soda — the calculator above works all of that out for you.
Do you stir an Aperol Spritz?
Once, gently, from the bottom. Never shake it and never over-stir: the carbonation is the whole point. Pouring the prosecco before the Aperol is the trick that lets the drink combine with almost no stirring.