Ah, the Aperol spritz—a refreshing cocktail that goes down easy while still packing the punch you desire, be it for brunch with the in-laws, lunch with your boss or just a girl’s night out. As the name suggests, Aperol—the vibrant orange and bittersweet Italian aperitif—combines with bubbles to make this beloved cocktail. Alas, the former can’t truly shine without the right sparkling wine by its side. As such, we asked Eric Bachli, award-winning mixologist, brewmaster and co-founder of Le Moné, to weigh in on the best prosecco for an Aperol spritz (and yes, it really does matter which bottle you choose).
In fact, Bachli told us that it’s important to choose a prosecco or sparkling wine that has either no dosage or very little residual sugar (that means extra dry, friends) in order to balance the subtle sweetness of the amaro and produce a drink that’s “crisp, clean and refreshing with a tart finish.” That said, choosing the right prosecco can be a bit confusing—namely because prosecco has its own rather misleading labeling system. (Case in point: Extra brut proseccos are not necessarily drier than ‘brut,’ as you might expect, and are sometimes actually sweeter.) Don’t worry, though—just let our list of trusty proseccos and sparkling wines be your guide, and you’ll be sipping a perfectly balanced cocktail in no time.
