The real spritz and where to drink it!
It is the Venetian long drink par excellence, the one most drunk by the movida of the lagoon city and best suited to every moment of the day.
Among the Venetian calli to discover the tastiest spritz
Spritzen, which translated from German literally means ‘to spray’. This is the origin of the name of this famous long drink. In the late 18th and early 19th century, during the Austrian rule in the Lombard-Venetian territories, Habsburg soldiers used to dilute local wines with mineral water. The too strong flavour and high alcohol content were not appreciated by the Austrian soldiers, who in their own way gave rise to the spritz recipe still used today in Friuli. An early evolution of this long drink occurred in the early 1900s, when among the Venetian calli the spritz was ‘macchiato’ with bitter.
A fresh, colourful long drink with many variations
If Contemporaneo Venice could recommend the best spritz in Venice, it would be in trouble. Firstly because the variations of this long drink are practically endless. Then because every osteria or bacaro in the city has its own recipe and serves the spritz in combination with the required cicchetti. Some use Aperol, others prefer stronger flavours such as Campari or Cynar, but always mixed with seltzer and still white wines, in pure Venetian style. Fresh and colourful, you can sip this long drink at sunset, when the sunlight reflects off the palaces of Venice, making it unique. Or the spritz can accompany a simple aperitif on the banks of the city’s most characteristic canals, before diving into the nightlife.
Spritz Select, the taste of Venice without compromise
Proudly Venetian. Contemporary Venice can only recommend tasting the Spritz Select, a typical bitter produced in the province and offered by many venues in the city. With its unmistakable spicy flavour, strong character and ruby red colour, this spritz has an unmistakable bittersweet taste that is hard to forget. Pairing it with an evening aperitif could be reductive and going to Venice without tasting it would be a sacrilege. The advice is to also try it during a simple lunch break while visiting the city of Venice, preferably in the company of friends or your partner for an unforgettable toast.
