It's National Spritz Day: Here's a history of the drink and how to celebrate

Fast Company

a day ago

There's just something about a bubbly drink, warm weather, and a sunny patio. The Spritz is the perfect summer cocktail, so it makes sense that the holiday celebrating it takes place in the warmer months.
To commemorate National Spritz Day today (Friday, August 1), let's mix one part history, one part variations of the cocktail, with a splash of ways to celebrate.
How the Spritz came to be
Before the Spritz became more formalized, it was born of necessity. The cocktail can trace its origins to the mid-19th century Veneto region. At the time, the floating city was ruled by Austrian soldiers who did not like how strong Italian wines were. They started to dilute it with a spritz of water. The genesis of a more complex cocktail had begun.
Over time, the water would turn into sparkling and bitter liqueurs would also be added.
A simple recipe
At its core, the classic modern Spritz is made up of three parts sparkling or white wine, two parts of your choice of a bitter liqueur (amaro), and one part soda water. If you need a handy way to remember it, just count down from three.
In 1919, brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created Aperol, a bitter liqueur that would help popularize the cocktail. This adult beverage would really take off internationally in the 1950s.
Variations on the theme
The Aperol Spritz is probably the best known, but there are several options if you want to explore further.
The Hugo Spritz utilizes an elderflower liqueur such as acqua santa or St-Germain instead of an amaro and hails from Northern Italy.
Can you guess what the Campari Spritz uses? If you said Campari, you'd be correct. The same principle applies to the Limoncello Spritz.
For those choosing not to drink alcohol, turn to non-alcoholic liqueurs and wines.
How to celebrate National Spritz Day
The best way to celebrate this holiday is to find a rooftop bar or somewhere outdoors with an ocean breeze. Order a round for your friends and yap the night away. Be forewarned: Alcohol can bring on spontaneous dance parties.
Here are some deals and discounts that will help your wallet.
If you find yourself in New York City, Houston Hall is offering $10 Aperol Spritzes and $59 Aperol Spritz Towers. Plus at 7 p.m., brand ambassadors from Aperol will be on hand for fun freebies.
West Coast friends can check out Punch Bowl Social's $10 custom creations. There are locations in San Diego, Rancho Cucamonga, and Sacramento as well as other venues across the country.
A chain restaurant option is Carrabba's Italian Grill. Their Happy Hour menu offers an $8 Passion Pear Spritz all year long. So you can celebrate whenever you choose.