Drink Aperol Spritz in Italy

“I tried my first Aperol Spritz in the summer of 2015. Being both new to the world of cocktails and extended stays in the Tuscan countryside [...] a drink with a base of bitter orange liqueur had me feeling skeptical. How could something like that possibly be palatable? At the time, I didn’t even like many types of beer. Any hint of an acrid aftertaste in a drink was an instant turnoff. It wasn’t until the first reluctant sip passed my lips that I finally understood why I saw the flourescent-hued beverage during any respectable Italian happy hour. Against all expectations, it worked. Four years and many aperitivi later, an Aperol Spritz is a taste experience deeply intertwined in my definition of summer, and of Italy itself.”

“The first spritz I tried and the most famous, the Aperol Spritz, definitely has a good reason to be so iconic. I had it at a cafe on our first day in Florence, but I’ve had it many times since then. Definitely a bitter taste, and most drinks that are more bitter than this I don’t like that much. However, I like the balance of the bitterness with the citrus or the orange and it is a great drink to have with snacks for aperitivo.”