Why an Italian Spritz Is Actually the Perfect Cocktail

Yes, spritz champions Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau know that plenty of Americans still associate the light, fizzy drink with its 1980s suburban incarnation, the white wine spritzer. But in their new book, Spritz, Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, the authors make an excellent case for the chic, Italian-style cocktail—bubbly, low in alcohol, and with an edge of bitterness, it's ideal for sipping in the golden hour before dinner.

Baiocchi is the editor of the drink site Punch, which publishes some of the most thorough and exciting writing on the subject, and Pariseau is the site’s former deputy editor. Together, the authors took a road trip through Italy in a Fiat 500, getting the measure of regional spritz styles and adopting the leisurely spirit that drives Italian happy-hour culture. In Venice, they found that friends bar-hopping for rounds of classic Venetian spritzes and snacks was still the norm, while in Milan, modern, ritual-bending cocktails were often served right alongside the Negroni Sbagliato—the city's classic of Campari loosened up with vermouth and prosecco.