Summer always comes to Portland a little later than to our friends in other parts of the country – but when it’s finally here, it’s here to stay! And the biggest way you can tell is that most of your meals suddenly take place outdoors 🙂 I love it. I needed to have my own fun alfresco party!

So, a couple of weeks ago, I invited a couple of my best lady friends over to do bunch outside, and I wanted to feature fun drinks, of course.

I’m so excited to be working with Aperol to bring you my version of the #Spritzbreak! The Spritz is such a classic cocktail – it’s prefect for just about any occasion, Including brunch!

I also created my own DIY fancy toast bar – platters full of both savory and sweet goodies like charcuterie, sardines, boiled eggs and avocado (of course) to cherries, apricots and mascarpone. We built our own breakfasts using a big chunk of rustic bread, cut into thick slices that I toasted lightly before my guests arrived.

We loved pairing the classic Aperol Spritz recipe with our brunch food – it’s not to sweet and not too boozy, so it’s light and refreshing and perfect for sipping outdoors. And the easy recipe just can’t be beat – all you have to remember is “3, 2, 1” – 3 oz. Prosecco, 2 oz. Aperol, and one ounce of sparkling water! I love garnishing with a big slice of fresh orange.

The simplest formula of a spritz – adding water to wine – actually dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans! They would dilute their wine so they could drink all day and not overdo things 🙂 The practice resurfaced in the early 20th century, around WWI, when there were lots of Austrians in Northern Italy. The lore goes, they liked to mix Italian wines with water to make them more familiar to their taste for Rieslings and similar wines.

Around the same time, taking an apertivo in the afternoon was fast becoming part of the Italian culture – sometimes it was an Americano cocktail, sometimes a Campari and soda… and more and more, the Spritz! Different regions had different bitters they loved to use, but over time, Aperol became the bitter of choice for Italians and their apertifs.

One of my personal favorite things about spritzes is that the touch of sparkling wine and San Pellegrino make them feel festive! It was certainly a festive occasion for us – we’re all so busy this summer, it feels like we are hardly ever in the same room! Thank goodness for our little SpritzBreak! Make sure to follow Aperol on Instagram and check out their website for more great recipes!

Disclosure: I am very excited to have this post be sponsored by Aperol. All opinions are my own!

Ingredients

• 3 oz. Prosecco
• 2 oz. Aperol
• 1 oz. sparkling water such as San Pellegrino
• Orange slice for garnish

Instructions

1. Add ice to a very large wine glass. Top with prosecco, then Aperol, then San Pellegrino. Garnish with an orange slice.