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Spritz: Italy's Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, with Recipes
A narrative-driven book on the surprising history and current revival of spritz cocktails (a wine-based drink served as an aperitif), with 50 recipes, including both historical classics and modern updates.From Milan to Los Angeles, Venice to New York, the spritz—Italy’s bitter and bubbly aperitivo cocktail—has become synonymous with a leisurely, convivial golden hour. But the spritz is more than just an early evening cocktail—it’s a style of drinking. In Spritz, Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau trace the drink’s origins to ancient Rome, uncover its unlikely history and culture, explore the evolution of aperitivo throughout Northern Italy, and document the spritz’s revival around the world. From regional classics to modern variations, Spritz includes dozens of recipes from some of America’s most lauded bartenders, a guide to building a spritz bar, and a collection of food recipes for classic Italian snacks to pair alongside.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2016
58 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 24, 2017
This is a beautifully designed book, with excellent photography, and with a lot more info about bitters like Campari, and Amaros, vermouth etc. than I was expecting and even some general Italian history thrown in for good measure. It also has some food recipes of varying difficulty at the end to put out with your spritz cocktails. It starts out with the standard spritz like the Venetian spritz (of which the beloved Aperol spritz is one of) and then moves into some kind of complex ones at the end. I rarely review cookbooks even though I love them, but I was impressed with this one. I am excited to try some of the recipes and continue to build my "spritz bar". A fun book, and even if you make only a couple of the recipes, it is beautiful to look at, and keep on your bar. Recommended for cocktail geeks, drinkers who like their cocktails on the lighter side, Prosecco lovers and Italophiles. 5 stars.
July 8, 2018
History of the spritz combined with travel tips, recipes, and gorgeous photography. Already have a new favorite spritz thanks to the book!
March 26, 2018
Part cocktail recipe book, part history, part love letter - I prefer my cookbooks with a historical analysis of where things come from, and this one did not disappoint. If you need me, I'm drinking spritzes.
February 20, 2017
Really beautiful book
May 8, 2017
Lovely book.
October 11, 2017
A good intro, but overall very thin. Props to the authors for getting a publishing company to pay them to drive around Italy to drink spritzes, though, that's an excellent gig.
December 29, 2017
Been interested in this book for awhile. Thanks Christopher!
June 19, 2019
Delightful and inspiring
July 4, 2019
I mean.
July 11, 2023
I’m not going to lie, I skimmed most of the history lesson. But the cook book section on this book was very exciting!
March 25, 2017
Easy breezy style, but filled with charm, inventive recipes and fascinating information. Perfect gift for your favorite barkeep or Italio-phile!
May 13, 2018
I use it as a coffee table book but the recipes are perfect for those wanting a refreshing summer drink without a lot of sweetness. Nice introduction to the Italian Spritz✨
July 2, 2016
I am probably the worst person to review a book on cocktails since I rarely drink and usually then I stick with something like gin & tonic or a shot of aquavit straight out of the freezer, but the beautiful design of the book Spritz by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau drew me in irresistibly. However, in reading this book, it seems I need to add to my repertoire, besides to call this a book of cocktail recipes is not only a disservice to the book, it’s not even close to true. More than half the book is dedicated to an overview of the history and sociological importance of the spritz, the social movements that brought it about and to the different elements that make a spritz.
What makes the spritz appealing to me is that it’s flavor profile is not sweet, but is anchored by a bitter flavor. The basic spritz recipe is three parts prosecco, two parts bitter liquor and one part soda. This tradition of mixing wine with water began in Ancient Rome. Yes, Plato was a spritzer, though he sadly did not have carbonated water.
The word “spritz” comes from the German spritzen which means “to spray” but the authors see a more serendipitous word association with the Italian world sprezzatura which is not really related to spritz etymologically. Still, there is that sound, spritz and sprezzatura, and the meaning of effortless grace, of style and ease and “in essence, the art of concealing art’s design.” For Baiocchi & Pariseau, spritz is sprezzatura in a glass. Their goal, with their book, is to show how it is not just a bunch of drink recipes, but “part of a ritual and a means to understand an entire country’s philosophy on socializing—the “spritz life,” if you will.” They succeed with a quick, but solid history of the development of cafe culture, the transgressive marketing of aperitifs, and the birth of the spritz and its marketing.
The modern spritz could not have been invented until soda water, which makes it a thoroughly modern drink. What makes it special, though, is the inclusion of bitter liqueurs. This is what makes it appeal to me. I like bitter flavors, they are daring, challenging and so much more interesting.
What is most fascinating is the connection made between the Futurist art movement and the similar movement in mixology. Who knew there was such a thing?
As to the recipes, some of them are delicious sounding. There are quite a few with orange liqueurs and orange peel that I will have to skip over, but some sound perfect, like one with ginger, lime and Angostura bitters and a another made with caraway infused bitters, peach preserves and lemon juice. They sound tantalizing, after all, I love a bit of Angostura bitters in a glass of ginger ale. This sounds like a more sophisticated version of that with a bit of peach flavoring on top.
There are also some recipes for some foods to eat while you’re drinking. Roasted olives are easy and delicious and if, like me, you’re allergic to oranges, you can use some lemon zest or grapefruit zest instead. The crostini toppings are my favorite food recipes. Hazelnut pesto with roasted tomatoes? Who could not love that?
I love so much about this book from the fabulous photos by Dylan + Jeni, a husband and wife photography team whose photo mesh so well with the Illustrations by Matthew Allen. The design of the book effectively represents the entire idea of the spitz as a social expression, of being part of a time, a place and a movement. It’s rare to see design and content mesh so perfectly. That the content is fascinating, with a deeper look at the social context is another added bonus. Then, to top it all off, a new low-alcohol cocktail that incorporates bitter flavors, it’s a winner all around.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
What makes the spritz appealing to me is that it’s flavor profile is not sweet, but is anchored by a bitter flavor. The basic spritz recipe is three parts prosecco, two parts bitter liquor and one part soda. This tradition of mixing wine with water began in Ancient Rome. Yes, Plato was a spritzer, though he sadly did not have carbonated water.
The word “spritz” comes from the German spritzen which means “to spray” but the authors see a more serendipitous word association with the Italian world sprezzatura which is not really related to spritz etymologically. Still, there is that sound, spritz and sprezzatura, and the meaning of effortless grace, of style and ease and “in essence, the art of concealing art’s design.” For Baiocchi & Pariseau, spritz is sprezzatura in a glass. Their goal, with their book, is to show how it is not just a bunch of drink recipes, but “part of a ritual and a means to understand an entire country’s philosophy on socializing—the “spritz life,” if you will.” They succeed with a quick, but solid history of the development of cafe culture, the transgressive marketing of aperitifs, and the birth of the spritz and its marketing.
The modern spritz could not have been invented until soda water, which makes it a thoroughly modern drink. What makes it special, though, is the inclusion of bitter liqueurs. This is what makes it appeal to me. I like bitter flavors, they are daring, challenging and so much more interesting.
What is most fascinating is the connection made between the Futurist art movement and the similar movement in mixology. Who knew there was such a thing?
As to the recipes, some of them are delicious sounding. There are quite a few with orange liqueurs and orange peel that I will have to skip over, but some sound perfect, like one with ginger, lime and Angostura bitters and a another made with caraway infused bitters, peach preserves and lemon juice. They sound tantalizing, after all, I love a bit of Angostura bitters in a glass of ginger ale. This sounds like a more sophisticated version of that with a bit of peach flavoring on top.
There are also some recipes for some foods to eat while you’re drinking. Roasted olives are easy and delicious and if, like me, you’re allergic to oranges, you can use some lemon zest or grapefruit zest instead. The crostini toppings are my favorite food recipes. Hazelnut pesto with roasted tomatoes? Who could not love that?
I love so much about this book from the fabulous photos by Dylan + Jeni, a husband and wife photography team whose photo mesh so well with the Illustrations by Matthew Allen. The design of the book effectively represents the entire idea of the spitz as a social expression, of being part of a time, a place and a movement. It’s rare to see design and content mesh so perfectly. That the content is fascinating, with a deeper look at the social context is another added bonus. Then, to top it all off, a new low-alcohol cocktail that incorporates bitter flavors, it’s a winner all around.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
May 21, 2016
I received this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own.
Obviously moving and blogging at the same time is not a plan that actually works for me. Moving and doing anything else isn't really working for me, but I'm muddling through. Speaking of muddling, the book I'm reviewing includes some muddling. Sorry, I just like the word muddling. I'll stop now.
I knew I wasn't in a reading mood, but kind of wanted to still review another book, so I requested a recipe book. More specifically a book about the spritz, which is "Italy's most iconic aperitivo cocktail". Then I received the book and realized it had more reading than I expected.
Talia Biocchi and Leslie Pariseau do a great job going over the history of the spritz and all the changes and different formations it has gone through. The informative part was a quick and interesting read. One of the most important things I learned was the three rules involved in making a spritz. Number one, it is always effervescent. Whether through champagne or soda water or anything else, there are always bubbles. Number two, it is low in alcohol. There's never more than an ounce of strong spirits because spritzes are for when the "day is waning and the night is young". And number three, it should be at least slightly bitter. It's meant to be consumed between work and play in the evening, before dinner. Apparently the bitterness is a means to open the stomach for a meal. Which I didn't know.
And then there are recipes.
Along with recipes for different versions of spritzes they include a few different flavored syrup recipes and some appetizer recipes that pair perfectly with spritz. Most of them sound delicious, but unfortunately they're a bit more fancy than I am. Because of that, I gave this book to a friend.
Obviously moving and blogging at the same time is not a plan that actually works for me. Moving and doing anything else isn't really working for me, but I'm muddling through. Speaking of muddling, the book I'm reviewing includes some muddling. Sorry, I just like the word muddling. I'll stop now.
I knew I wasn't in a reading mood, but kind of wanted to still review another book, so I requested a recipe book. More specifically a book about the spritz, which is "Italy's most iconic aperitivo cocktail". Then I received the book and realized it had more reading than I expected.
Talia Biocchi and Leslie Pariseau do a great job going over the history of the spritz and all the changes and different formations it has gone through. The informative part was a quick and interesting read. One of the most important things I learned was the three rules involved in making a spritz. Number one, it is always effervescent. Whether through champagne or soda water or anything else, there are always bubbles. Number two, it is low in alcohol. There's never more than an ounce of strong spirits because spritzes are for when the "day is waning and the night is young". And number three, it should be at least slightly bitter. It's meant to be consumed between work and play in the evening, before dinner. Apparently the bitterness is a means to open the stomach for a meal. Which I didn't know.
And then there are recipes.
Along with recipes for different versions of spritzes they include a few different flavored syrup recipes and some appetizer recipes that pair perfectly with spritz. Most of them sound delicious, but unfortunately they're a bit more fancy than I am. Because of that, I gave this book to a friend.
February 9, 2017
This is a delightful history of the spritz, as well as a variety of cocktail recipes from classic to modern and "beyond." I loved the mix of art and photography illustrating this collection. Definitely a book that I want on my bar cart.
June 1, 2016
This was a very interesting book and I'm not sure in what way. I liked the history behind each drink and that each drink had it's own page. I would have liked more pictures as they always inspire me and I loved the section at the end with some appetizers to go with the drinks. I found the beginning a little to wordy and wanted to get to the recipes, but that could just have been my impatience. I received a copy of this book through the blogging for books program in exchange for this honest review.
March 5, 2017
I received a free copy of this book through the Read It Forward program from Crown Publishing.
I know nothing about spritzes and I've never had one to drink, but now I think I'll have to try it! This engaging book tells a bit of the history, culture, and regional differences in the drink. Then the authors get down to business providing a lot of traditional and modern ways to mix the drink along with some appetizers/snacks to go with them. The book is fun to look at and has a lot of beautiful pictures as well. If you admire this drink I think you'll want this book!
I know nothing about spritzes and I've never had one to drink, but now I think I'll have to try it! This engaging book tells a bit of the history, culture, and regional differences in the drink. Then the authors get down to business providing a lot of traditional and modern ways to mix the drink along with some appetizers/snacks to go with them. The book is fun to look at and has a lot of beautiful pictures as well. If you admire this drink I think you'll want this book!
February 7, 2017
A brilliant and interesting collection of recipes, anecdotes and history all about one of the best things to come out of Italy; the Spritz. A real taste of northern Italy, that will transport you directly to Venice, Milano or whichever iconic city tickles your fancy.
March 11, 2016
The ideal book containing everything you wanted to know about the most iconic of drinks, from its origins in ancient Rome to the modern drinks served in the more upmarket of cocktail bars.
You can drink your way around the world!
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Ten Speed via Netgalley for an honest unbiased review.
You can drink your way around the world!
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Ten Speed via Netgalley for an honest unbiased review.
April 25, 2016
Spritz is a fun book that not only gives you different spritz recipes but it also tells you the history of the spritz and how it has changed over the years. It is a cute book and I love all of the detail in it. I'm a fan of carbonated drinks and all of the recipes look so good and very simple to put together.
March 21, 2018
Good read
It would’ve been nice to get some more history or at least some better explanations of the flavor profiles on each amaro used. The kindle version isn’t great at all. Each recipe is in two different places for some reason. Over all a d cent read to get some recipe ideas, but we all know that’s easy to get online. Wished for more substance.
It would’ve been nice to get some more history or at least some better explanations of the flavor profiles on each amaro used. The kindle version isn’t great at all. Each recipe is in two different places for some reason. Over all a d cent read to get some recipe ideas, but we all know that’s easy to get online. Wished for more substance.
July 28, 2018
This book inspired me to make a Cynar Spritz, so it was definitely worth reading. The history part was interesting, although the recipes suffered from the problem a lot of drink recipe collections have where half the drinks require a syrup used only in that drink, and the other half require some obscure liquor, also used only in that drink.
December 28, 2016
A quick, enjoyable romp through the history of the spritz and indeed the whole "aperitivo lifestyle" Italy is now so well known for. Lots of interesting recipes of classic & modern spritzes to stimulate the imagination (& the appetite). A great little book for anyone who loves this modern ritual.
August 14, 2023
Fun mix of history, geography, culture, and recipes…but honestly, it seems to me that pretty quickly it becomes filling the bubbly and bitters parts of the ratio with what suits your fancy…at whatever point.
April 14, 2016
I haven't made any of the cocktails yet, but this is a good read just to learn about the history and the ingredients in the spritz.
July 10, 2017
The Mai Tai spritz from Smugglers Cove bar in San Francisco is terrific. If you can get that online then you may not need this book unless you really want to see all Spritz variations.
June 12, 2016
Getting ready for summer!
June 22, 2016
Lots of historical information about sparkling wine and the aperitivo complete with recipes. I love sparkling wine cocktails and champagne, so now I can make them to my heart's content!
July 12, 2016
Great group of recipes around a very specific type of drink, the spritz. Not as popular here as it is in Europe, this book makes it easy for Americans to make all sorts of spritzs.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews