Averna Spritz: Sicily’s Twist on the Aperol Spritz
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Sicily’s signature spritz swaps Italy’s famous orange aperitivo for a darker, more herbal amaro. The resulting Averna Spritz is richer and more complex than the spritz you already know.
The Aperol Spritz generates most of Italy’s spritz glory, but Aperol isn’t the only Italian bitter that plays well with prosecco. Replacing Aperol with Sicily’s Averna creates a darker, deeper spritz with notes of orange, licorice and caramel. It’s less sweet than the Aperol Spritz and, dare we say, more interesting to sip.
Our Averna Spritz journey started in Sicily where we sipped spritzes in cities like Cefalù and Palermo. That’s where we discovered the Averna Spritz. It then continued when we crafted Averno Spritzes at home. Since we had preivously purchased a bottle of Averna to craft Black Manhattan cocktails, continuing this journey was a no-brainer.
What Is the Averna Spritz?
The Averna Spritz is a sparkling wine cocktail with a 3:2:1 ratio of prosecco, Averna and fizzy water.
Some bartenders call it a Sicilian Spritz since Averna hails from Caltanissetta, a town in the center of the southwestern Italian island. The amaro (i.e., Italian herbal liqueur) dates back to 19th century. As legend has it, Salvatore Averna started producing the amaro based on a recipe he was gifted by local Benedictine monks at Abbazia di Santo Spirit (i.e., Abbey of the Holy Spirit).
Compared to the Aperol Spritz, the Averna Spritz is darker in both color and flavor. It delivers a bittersweet sip with citrus, herbs and a hint of cola-like spice. Prosecco’s effervescence makes the Averna version equally bubbly compared to other Italian spritzes.
Ingredients
You need just three liquid ingredients plus ice and a garnish to make an Averna Spritz. Since Averna provides most of the flavor punch, there’s no need to splurge on pricier prosecco. We use the following ingredients in this Averna Spritz recipe:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How to Craft an Averna Spritz
The first step in this Averna Spritz recipe is to open a chilled prosecco bottle. Do this carefully with your thumb atop the cork to avoid an annoying mess or, worse, an eye injury.
Next, fill a wine glass halfway with ice cubes.
Measure the prosecco and Averna. Immediately pour both liquids into the wine glass as you measure them. We use a Japanese jigger for this step to ensure accurate measurements and minimize spillage.
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Gently stir the two liquids with a bar spoon.
Top the glass with chilled sparkling water.
Garnish with an orange wedge.
Serve the crafted Averna Spritz with an olive and other aperitivo nibbles.
Additional Spritzes
Once you’ve mastered the Averna Spritz recipe, there’s a whole world of spritzes to explore. These are some of our favorites, including one we created with a Portuguese twist:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Averna Spritz Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Averna
- 3 ounces prosecco (chilled)
- 1 ounce sparkling water (chilled)
- ice cubes
- 1 orange wedge (garnish)
Equipment
Instructions
- Fill a wine glass halfway with ice cubes.
- Pour the prosecco and Averna into the glass.
- Gently stir.
- Top the glass with sparkling water.
- Garnish with an orange wedge.
Notes
- You can replace the prosecco with another dry sparkling wine like cava or espumante.
- You can use club soda or soda water instead of sparkling water.
- Serve with green olives and other aperitivo snacks.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
The Averna Spritz is an Italian spritz crafted with prosecco, Averna and sparling water using a 3:2:1 ratio.
Averna is a bittersweet amaro. It has notes of orange, lemon, licorice and caramel. It’s less bitter than Campari and less sweet than Aperol. Its flavor reminds us of cola.
Averna, Prosecco, Sparkling Water, Ice Cubes and a orange wedge (garnish)
The Aperol Spritz is light, sweet and orange-forward, while the Averna Spritz is dark and herbaceous with caramel notes. Beyond flavor, the Averna Spritz is more potent thanks to Averna’s 29% ABV.
Yes. Any dry sparkling wine works, including cava, crémant and Champagne. Stick with brut so the drink doesn’t get too sweet. Here in Portugal, we sometimes use espumante.
Amaro Montenegro is the closest substitute. It’s a little lighter and more floral. Ramazzotti and Amaro Nonino also work.
The Averna Spritz is stirred, not shaken.
Yes. For eight drinks, mix one 750 ml bottle of prosecco with 2 cups (about 475 ml) of Averna in a chilled pitcher. Pour the mixture into glasses filled with ice, then top each glass with a splash of sparkling water. (You want to pour the water into each glass so that it stays fizzy.)
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