Walk into any bacaro in Venice at six in the evening and almost every glass on the counter will be orange. The spritz has become the city's signature drink, but it started as something much simpler: a splash of water in a glass of local white wine. The bitter came later, and it changed everything.
The usual story traces the habit to the nineteenth century, when visitors from the north found Veneto wines too strong and asked for them to be lengthened with water. Soda replaced still water, and the white wine spritz became an everyday drink across the region long before anyone added a bitter.
- The original spritz was white wine and soda, served without any bitter at all
- Bitter aperitivi arrived in the twentieth century and slowly turned the drink orange
- Every bar in Venice still has its own ratio, and regulars will tell you theirs is the right one
How we make ours
Behind our bar we serve two versions. The Venetian Spritz uses an orange bitter, our own sparkling Nebbia Frizzante and a splash of soda, with a green olive rather than a slice of orange. The White Wine Spritz is the older drink: our house Pietra Fredda, soda and a strip of lemon peel, nothing more.
- Always build over plenty of ice, so the drink stays cold without watering down too fast
- Pour the wine first and the bitter second, so it mixes without stirring
- Use a green olive, which is how most Venetian bars still serve it
- Keep the soda to a splash, because it should lift the drink rather than dilute it
"A spritz is not a cocktail you think about. It is the drink you hold while you decide which cicchetto to have next."
From local habit to global ritual
For generations, the spritz belonged to the quiet rhythm of the Veneto rather than the international cocktail list. It was poured at the end of work, before dinner, and almost always with something small to eat. The point was not strength or complexity. It was a long, cool drink that allowed conversation to continue while the first plates arrived at the counter. That pace still matters in Venice, where aperitivo is a moment between the obligations of the day and the freedom of the evening.
The drink began travelling further once bottled bitters and sparkling wine became easier to find outside northern Italy. Bars in London, Paris and New York adopted the orange version, often making it sweeter, larger and more elaborate. The Venetian approach remained leaner: plenty of ice, a measured pour of bitter, dry sparkling wine and only enough soda to open the drink. A spritz should refresh the palate, not exhaust it before dinner begins.
Choice of bitter changes the drink more than any garnish. A bright orange aperitivo brings sweetness and gentle citrus, while a darker bitter adds herbs, roots and a firmer finish. Some Venetian bars use a local bitter that rarely leaves the lagoon; others offer several bottles and let regulars order by colour. There is no single official recipe, and that flexibility is part of the spritz's enduring appeal.
What to eat with a spritz
A spritz tastes best with food that answers both its bitterness and its sparkle. Salty baccalà mantecato softens the bitter edge, while sarde in saor echoes the drink with vinegar, sweetness and citrus. Fried mozzarella brings richness, and a sharp radicchio crostino makes the next sip feel brighter. The pairing does not need to be formal; two or three contrasting cicchetti are usually more satisfying than one large plate.
At Bacaro, the counter changes with the market, but the principle stays the same. We begin with something creamy, add something fried or roasted, then finish with a sharper bite such as pickled vegetables or fish. Guests often order the first plate by sight and the second after tasting the drink. That small back-and-forth between glass and counter is exactly how the Venetian ritual is meant to work.
To serve a spritz at home, chill every ingredient first and use more ice than seems necessary. Build the drink directly in the glass, add the sparkling wine before the bitter and finish with a short splash of soda. Put olives, bread and one simple cicchetto on the table before pouring. The best spritz is ready when guests arrive, but never so early that the ice has begun to melt.
