Ironically, the peaceful, breezy white wine spritzer likely originated during nineteenth century wartime, when beer-loving Austro-Hungarian soldiers based in the northeast of Italy diluted the region’s wine with a “spritz” of still water (a term derived from the German spritzen, meaning “to spray,”), according to Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau, writing in their 2016 book Spritz.
Yet, when soda siphons were developed in the early 1800s dispensing seltzer, that’s where the easy-drinking wine spritzer – and its Italian cousin, the spritz – took off! Soon after, Italians started adding their native wine-based aperitifs and bitter liqueurs to bubbly seltzer.
The white wine spritzer became an iconic drink in America, too.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Americans developed a newfound interest in wine, and better-quality white wines became more broadly available from California and elsewhere. It wasn’t long before baby boomers reared on soft drinks began adding fizzy water to their Sauvignon Blancs or Chardonnays. The white wine spritzer would go on to become a symbol of ’70s and ’80s suburban culture. (There’s a throughline here to the wine coolers of the ’80s and modern-day hard seltzers, but we’ll leave that RTD anthropology for another day).
Since then, the spritzer has endured. But it remains mostly as a DIY drink and you won’t typically find it on cocktail menus. Recipes for spritzers are gaining views on TikTok—especially those featuring photogenic garnishes like sliced fruit and herbs—and searches for it received a bump earlier this year. Part of this may have to do with the skyrocketing popularity of the spritz.
While the spritz and the spritzer sound similar, they are in fact two different drinks. The spritzer is essentially two ingredients, three parts wine and one part soda, with various garnishes. It can have regional variations such as the Spanish spritzer, which is typically made with flavored sodas like Coca-Cola and Fanta. Meanwhile, the spritz is composed of three primary ingredients: an amaro, sparkling wine and a splash of soda.
Bruce Schulz, head bartender at New York City’s Amor y Amargo and Spritz on Sixth, says that no one comes in asking for a white wine spritzer. “I think that’s just because people aren’t aware and don’t know that they want them,” he says.
But his menu at Spritz on Sixth features many adaptations of the cocktail. He typically mixes a white fortified or aromatized wine (like Cocchi Americano, Carpano Bianco or Calissano Bianco) and some kind of modifier (such as Strega, Suze or Aperol) and seltzer.
While the drink’s low-alcohol nature is part of its appeal, there’s room to add small amounts of liqueurs (like elderflower liqueur or a bitter like Aperol), or spirits (say, a half-ounce of gin or blanco tequila), depending on your taste, veering the drink closer to Aperol spritz territory.
How to Make a White Wine Spritzer
Ingredients
Directions
To make this refreshing and adaptable cocktail, start with whichever white wine you prefer, and lighten it with a sparkling component, from club soda or seltzer to a mineral water like Topo Chico.
(*Try to keep all ingredients as cold as possible, or plan to add ice to keep the drink chilled.)
Variations might include swapping wine for a dry or blanc vermouth, or a white wine-based aperitif, such as Lillet Blanc, Cocchi Americano, or Mattei Cap Corse.
Switch the lime wheel for a half-moon of orange or grapefruit.
Combine wine and soda water in a wine glass.
Add ice if desired. Garnish with lime wheel.
White wine spritzer with lime garnish / Photo by Caitlin Bensel
More Spritz Coverage
- Spritz sales tripled last year thanks to the sober-curious movement.
- The bitter Campari spritz is having a moment.
- Light and lower alcohol, Prosecco cocktails are your go-to warm-weather refreshments.
- Drink like a Spaniard with these Spanish spritz cocktail recipes.
- How to make an Aperol spritz, the hero of happy hour.
- The Negroni Sbagliato skyrocketed to fame on TikTok. It’s easy to make at home.
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Last Updated: August 8, 2024
