Cynar Spritz
The Venetian spritz for people who find Aperol too sweet.
The Method
How to make it
- 01
Fill a large wine glass to the brim with ice.
- 02
Pour the prosecco first, then the Cynar — pouring the amaro second keeps it from sinking into a dense layer.
- 03
Add the splash of soda and stir once with a bar spoon.
- 04
Garnish with an orange slice and a green olive on a pick.
Bartender's Tip
The olive is not a joke. Cynar's vegetal bitterness reads as savory, and a briny olive pushes the whole drink toward the snack table.
A Little History
The spritz is Veneto's contribution to the aperitivo hour, born from Austrian soldiers cutting local wine with water. Cynar, launched in Padua in 1952, was a natural swap once bartenders began treating the three-two-one formula as a template rather than a rule.
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One short Friday dispatch: a bottle worth buying, a cocktail worth mixing, and a little Italian history.
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