As with a lot of cocktails, people can get quite particular about how exactly the Spritz is made despite being comprised of only 3 ingredients. Hopefully you find this video helpful and make sure you try Select Aperitivo and the Cynar Spritz!! Want to learn more? Check out the books listed below... - SPRITZ COCKTAIL BOOK: amzn.to/2Oar4Mn - AMARO BOOK: amzn.to/3ekpFxs - APERITIVO: ITALIAN COCKTAIL CULTURE: amzn.to/38L1Fm6 - SIGN UP TO NEWSLETTER: stevethebartender.com.au/newsletter

Fun fact: I learned while visiting Venice that the locals call the half-and-half mix of Aperol and Campari the "Spritz Indeciso" which translates to indecisive.

So glad of seeing Cynar (and also Select) on this list and your appreciation of this absolutely underrated version of the Spritz. I live in Veneto, Spritz is part of our culture and it's probably not even considered as a cocktail by most of the people living here (especially the older ones) and one of the best thing in general is that it has so many version that it can be easily loved by anyone. Select is our original version and we are so proud of that that we can't really totally stand the Aperol one (yes, we drink it, but it's the lesser appreciated version at all) Here we tend to consume more bitter version of it: lot of Select and Campari (instead of Aperol we surely love more this version), but there is a little, very specific and unknown version that, for me, is absolutely astonishing: the Cynar one. Cynar was originally made by a liquor distillery in Padua and it become very popular in this city to twist the original Select/Aperol/Campari Spritz with the Cynar version (or even half Cynar, half Select/Campari). I graduate at the University of Padua and I live in a small town in the province of Padua, so Cynar Spritz it's a very common way to drink this cocktail here, but you can easily go about 10 km far from my town and people doesn't even know that you can make Spritz with Cynar and this is, as I mentioned before, the beauty of this cocktail: you can make it as you prefer. Personally: Cynar is probably the best version at all!

As a venetian bartender, I feel so proud of you! Keep doing what you do 'cause you are the best ❤️

It doesn't matter with what you start making your drink. As long as the first thing is a glass, otherwise you will be wet and without a drink.

Great video, very accurate, a bit of background about spritz: the thing is, that here in Italy, even though Spritz is a cocktail, most of the time we don't consider it in that way. It's more like something to drink, instead of a beer or a glass of wine and not as strong as a cocktail, usually for the aperitivo time, that is before lunch and dinner. It's really "normal" to drink one of those, maybe also because prosecco is from nord-est of Italy, so without shipping it, the price for a spritz it's also much more affordable instead of a cocktail or even a glasses of wine. It's like a tradition, so even for this, is one of the most iconic cocktail in Italy.... ...P.s. Sorry for my level of english.

the Select Spritz is more common in Venezia. 3 parts still white wine, 2 parts Select, 1 part sparkling water (or soda water), 1 or 3 olives the Aperol Spritz is from Padova 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, 1 part soda water (or sparkling water), a slice of orange and a lemon peel, some dashes of Cynar (optional) The Campari is from Milano. There are too many recipes with Campari: Campari col bianco (Campari Soda + sparkling white wine), bianchino spruzzato (still white wine with some dashes of Bitter Campari), Negroni Sbagliato... The Cynar... try to sub the Cynar with Rabarbaro Zucca (same recipe)

For my Aperol spritzes.. I add fresh squeezed sweet ruby red grapefruit juice before I add the Prosecco. The slight bitterness of grapefruit goes great with the Aperol. Then I use a slice of blood orange for garnish.

The whole ice after liquids is from my knowledge to stop the wine glass breaking the bar I work in our wine glasses are pretty thin and the large cubes easily break our glasses if you dump them in without liquid

I like the little ugly one too! Cynar is such an amazing bitter I’m glad I’m not the only one who likes them in a spritz. I also do cynar and tonic with a dash of bitters that I call “adult Coca Cola”

My thirst for bartending knowledge had been satisfied. Thank you fellow bartender.

long time viewer, first time commenter.. just returned from Venice, and every spritz was garnished with an olive. delicious!

I was served an Aperol Spritz in Venice a few weeks ago with a skewered olive

Four Sprtizt's? Good now I can try the two that look like you actually enjoyed them. The Select and the Cynar. Great video Steve.

I really love this style of video! I think this sort of thing can be done with other videos too. Different Vermouths in Manhattans, Whiskey in Old Fashioneds, Gins in Martinis, etc. It's especially good for the audience because this type of brand-by-brand difference isn't something most of us have a ton of experience with, and it also lets you make videos that sit in that sweet spot of 10-12min (imo, that's the best length for this content).

Just come across this YT - awesome. I am of Italian heritage and we did a huge 7 week trip back in 2008 starting in Veneto. Seemed like every afternoon at about 5pm all the town was out in the piazzas drinking this weird bright orange drink. I asked what it was ......Aperol Sprtiz !! And me and my wife were hooked. Almost every afternoon we went for Spritz O'clock and the stuzzichini.....argh La Dolci Viva !! Back home we have carried on the tradition when friends are over in Summer, have tgried some variations but not that Cynar (I have some) Cin Cin

In Austria it's very common to drink a "G'spritzten", which is just half wine (usually white) and half soda. Very easy to drink, especially in the summer!

When in Italy a few years ago, came across the Hugo Spritz (don't recall if it was in Florence or Rome), anyway, made with elderflower syrup, lime, mint leaves, and prosecco. Tasty! The Aperol Spritz was all over Venice and that was the first time I ever seen it. Great mid-afternoon drink while watching the gondolas!

I went to Milan earlier this year and came back obsessed with the Cynar spritz.

I love that you did all 4, because bitter ingredients can be so divisive for people. For me, Aperol > Campari all day. Definitely have to try the Select, thanks Steve!

I would definitely enjoy an "oddball spritz" video with half-and-half and Souze!

Nice to see Select used . I've been wondering about buying a bottle of it.

I went out and bought a bottle of Campari, Aperol, and some Prosecco just to try these. Couldn't afford the Cynar, and couldn't find the Select. But I'm really looking forward to these!!!

I'm so impressed by how even they were while he eyeballed it. I know it's his job and this probably instinctual this stage but still!!

I love my bitter (amero) - love mixing Campari & Cynar with my Antica Carpano with Pellegrino water - my go to spritz. Also love the Aperol Spritz with fondness given our first was in Italy (Tuscany)

Wow that video opened a complete new world for me. So nice!

All the Spritz I had while living in Venice had an olive. I prefer that rather than a slice of orange.

I'm italian (not a bartender tho) from Turin in Piemonte (northern italy) and here campari and aperol are equally popular, both served with the orange slice. I personally much prefer campari

I am so happy you made this video Steve! Spritz is really a delicious drink and it suits every occasion! I'll have to find a bottle of Select! Cheers!

Hey Steve. I been watching a lot of your videos lately, and I really like your way around the cocktails. I do have an idea, in one of your videos you are using Campari and you mention, this is a good drink to learn to like Campari. That got me thinking, It could really be nice with a series of videos where you dig into getting people into some type of alkohol, "here's 10 types of cocktails that will startup you up with whiskey, going from a Sour, godfather up all the way to taking it neat" same goes for Campari, Dark Rum, Vermouth and so on. It's a basic idea, but maybe it's something to build on. Best Regards, a fan of yours ;)

Also try the Montenegro Spritz, it is my favorite one!

Italians often drink the Campari drink with only Sparking water or Soda Water (with ice), and nicely stirred. A little bitter but quite good. Stirring with a back and forth motion with a spoon, against the ice, makes it foamy, merging both ingredients together, and so quite delightful in flavor and texture.

If you want to try to mix bitters in spritz you should try Select and cynar which are both venetian traditional bitters. In my opinion it is the best spritz

Me being an italian waiter and matching perfectly your information, nice job quite informed

Can’t wait to try these. Aperol Spritz really is good and refreshing.

In Brescia, quite big italian city between Milan and Venice, there is an aperitivo called "Pirlo" and similar to spritz. Pirlo is made with Campari, white still wine and sparkling water.

I love spritz. Got me into apertivos and keen to try more . This video inspired me to try a negroni spritz ( 1 oz compari, 1oz London dry gin , 2 dashes of orange bitters and then topped up with prosecco)

The first Spritz I had was served to me on a Venetian beach, with Campari and an olive. The thing looked garish, bright red with a green olive. But it was the perfect thing for a hot, humid day in Venice. I love bitter, and to me the Aperol version is a laughably tame imitation. I can’t wait to try the Cynar and Select versions, and I want to try it also with my new favorite Italian amaro made by Foro. Cheers!

9am here and now I want one😆

Great Video Steve! Weird that the Italian bartenders say no to the olive. I went to Venice for a week 3 years ago and had maaaaaaany Aperol Spritz and every one had an olive in. UK, Spain, Portugal...no olive. Strange!

Thanks to your video, we checked out select. My gf, a long time aperol spritz fan, now prefers those to the aperol spritz. So, thanks!

I like mixing alternatives to Prosecco like Moet Nectar vs regular Moët .

I read about the spritz before a trip to Tuscany, as an iconic Italian drink. I really did not like the first one made with Aperol and tried it again. I prefer the bitterness of Campari and it is truly my perfect summer afternoon aperitivo,with ice and a slice of orange also visually beautiful. I will now try with Select (hopefullyI can find here in US) and Cynar to make sure I have tried them all!

“I like the little ugly one.” 😂😂🙌🏻😍❤️

Ok at work we do 80 ml aperol, about 200ml prosecco and top up with soda in 500ml wine glass full of ice, and people say its really good, i dont like the drink so much in general, but its really full of flavour and you can actually feel the flavours of aperol well.

I've been in Venice for the last week, and had at least one spritz pretty much every day. So far I'd say at least half of them have included a green olive on a pick.

The Select Spritz looks very much like Moxie. Not sure if you've heard of it. It's a New England 'cola' beverage, sweet but bitter...

As an Italian, I find SELECT to be the best ever. Too bad it is now really hard to find anywhere outside Venice!

Keep up the great work Steve! Aperol spritz is one of my favorite drinks, cheers from the States

I wonder, if Austrans really felt the wine being too strong. I‘d guess it was (and still is) just a very common way, to enjoy white wine with sparkling water, esp in the summer evenings. Its a very nice and refreshing drink. Around vienna in the wine mountains, you can go to farmers directly and enjoy a glass of wine or a wine with sparkling water in small localities (Heuriger). If you order your wine „gespritzt“, the soda is added. In Austria and in southern Germany you can order other drinks „gespritzt“ as well, fruit juices, especially apple juice are common. This type of drink, i.e. a stronger flavoured drink (wine /juice) dilluted with sparkling water. Is also referred to as a „Schorle“ in other parts of the German speaking world. So I think Austrians were very capable of drinking „strong Italian wine“. I see no reason either, why Italian wine should have been very different in strength to Austrian wine or other period wines. The Austrians simply had a recipe for their own delicious summer drink, which made its way into the drink culture of its neighbour Italy.

Guess I have to make a trip to Uncle Dans to pick up some Cynar now, I'd never heard of it until this video!

Excellent video sir . I really enjoy an Aperol spritz and I am looking forward to trying the Cynar.

Great information on such a fascinating topic. It’s hard to pick but the Cynar Spritz sounds intriguing so I’ll go with that one...

Great video to showcase how to get the most out of whatever amari you have. Cheers

Great video! On my travels through Italy I had a few Aperol Spritz and I really enjoyed them; I get why they are the go-to. To change things up I tried a Campari Spritz and it was waaay too bitter and overpowered the Prosecco. As I type this, I'm enjoying a Select Spirtz at home and it has a great aroma and color but is still a little on the bitter side. It's definitely inbetween the Aperol & Campari. Personally I'd recommend the Aperol version to a newbie and go from there. The Cynar version looks very appetizing!

loved the vid. Seems it's a duopoly of bitters - Select vs the Campari Group (they also own Cynar afaik).

Here in Veneto, we also do a new variant with P31. It's also called "spritz verde" (green spritz). I believe there is absinthe in it. I'd love to know your opinion on him.

This just made me buy a bottle of Select 😁 Can't wait for the delivery tomorrow 🍷

That Cynar sounds so interesting will defo take a look at that if i see it in a bar, but Aperol reminds me of my first holiday to Garda, and becuase of that the taste takes me to a diffrent place, especially when im in 'sunny' Manchester... I do Aperol Spritz though equal meassures of Pressecco & Aperol, big slice of orange and then pour abit of the soda on the floor, for good measure... luv the video firsttime ive watched your vid's will defo watch more. nice work mate!!!

i had an amazing version of this in NYC with Contratto Aperitif and Prosecco. (the only two ingredients I was told) well balanced. really really good. At Alimenteri Vinera NYC

Thanks for the video, I learn a lot today. I may try de half /half Spritz.

Well done. Love Campari and Cynar. Cant wait to try these

Cynar Spritz looks very intriguing! Thanks Steve

As an Italian (I'm from Piedmont) I can confirm that Italians love bitter drinks😏

Would love to see you do different mashups of the aperitifs for spritzes

This cocktail made with moscatel wine instead of an aperitif and tonic instead of prosecco is imo so much better. But a spritz can be so delicious and refreshing.

But you should stir them, and well at that. It makes a little foam when you stir and it just adds to the delight and tasting. And not having stirred them, the Proseco taste must be more proeminent since it was poured after, on top of the ice. The flavors cannot have merged together well.

Thanks for this very informative video. I’ll try the Cynar version.

I went to the comments immediately knowing the opinions are gonna start flying! 😂😂

Can’t wait to try the Cynar Spritz, I usually just drink Cynar with soda/seltzer

I only just watched this video. Very late, i know. A variation on the spritz, Using a quality dry cider instead of prosecco. DV cidery in Darraweit Guim,vic. Does cocktails with a difference, using their dry cider instead of sparkling wine. Works a treat for a not so sweet spritz.

Wish Select was available near me. Definitely trying the Cynar this evening

The Hugo spritz looks a lot like what people in France call a St Germain spritz. We just do the 3-2-1 ratio but with St Germain.

I used to make what I called a "white negroni": Aperol, gin and Cinzano - was tasty af

I prefer aperol 60ml, instead of prosecco (i hate it) i use asti, fill it up with lemonade and full slice of orange

Select in Venice is definitely served with both and orange and olive

Interesting that you refer to a plimsoll mark. That's a load line mark on ships and this is the first reference to it, that I've heard in that context, on a drinking glass. I'm sure there has to be a challenge in there to some bartender to come up with a WNA, (winter north Alantic) mark. I'd love to see what someone comes up with for that. Batten down the hatches and keep me posted. I wonder if Lloyd's of London would underwrite that.

I've heard of people using Chambord with Prosecco as a sort of spritz.

Chino has a very distinct cola syrup taste we drink non alcohol ones during dinner better than coke

I got a bottle of the Aldi apertivo today. I’ve heard it’s good. I also want to try out pampelle.

Im trying the campari variant...thats all I have on hand...

Select is the best one imo. Delicious

No orange in the Select Spritz. But a large green olive!

Steve!!!! I finally tried a spritz!! I can see why it so popular. I used campari for mine. Is adding a bit of sweet vermouth ok, because that how I made my 2nd one. CHEERS!!

Should try Stockholms Aperitif Röd Spritz for this summer if you can get a hold of it ;) Same ballpark, but different!

What I like the most is how cheap Cynar is in my country, I can get a bottle in the market for like, three dollars lol

Literally ordered a bottle of cynar after watching this

Olives are part of the recipe on the Select website… that said, have yours however you like it. Life is finite…!

Can we get some non alcoholic / low abv drinks pls for dry/dryish July 🙏🏻 Lyres is bloody fantastic and Australian! I’ve been using their Italian spritz for an Aperol spritz alternative and it’s fantastic 👌🏻

Controversial topic man, if you need more info or advices from a bartending amateur and Venetian heavy drinker I’m here

Prova ad aggiungere una spruzzata di Cynar nel Secect Spritz... una meraviglia

If you go in Romania and ask for spritz you will get a bottle of wine and sparkling water😁 there are also other people that mix wine with Coca Cola and call it spritz😅. Thank you for all these videos and recipes ❤️

The select one is the best !

One point made to me by an Italian Liquor Store owner is that the "true" spritz calls for soda water but this is a poor translation of the Italian recipe and it actually calls for sparkling water such as Sanpellegrino sparkling mineral water!

Would it be wise or stupid to subs the Prosecco with Cava?

Not gonna lie, here in Italy there are two types of people: the Aperol people and the Campari people, let's just say that we don't really like each other...

Aperol = Marketing, Select = Spritz Real Deal

Prefer Campari myself but I will look up the French variant with Suze. Sounds interesting.

Never tasted before Select and Cynar variants, will definitely try!! By the end of the video you mentioned French Spritz with Suze, do you recommend same ratio of traditional recipe so 3 part Prosecco and 2 of Suze??

I like using Averna amaro to make spritzes, it tastes very much like coca-cola. And it smells just like coca cola I think. But I do only use one ounce because it's pretty bitter if you add too much.