A wine spritzer is a cool, refreshing and delicious cocktail to have during the hot summer months — a drink worlds away from those insipidly sweet, bottled wine coolers that took America by storm in the 1980s. With apologies to Mr. Bartles and Mr. Jaymes, the folksy pair who appeared in those memorable TV commercials, that beverage (and others like it) was made with blends of cheap, industrial white wine and artificial flavors released by major wine houses. The wine cooler was actually a play on the wine spritzer, the original homemade wine cooler made with white wine (a dry or a pinot grigio), soda water and fruit. A spritzer can be a refreshing drink for an outdoor summer party or barbeque. It’s also an excellent (and delicious) way to bluff your way through cocktail hour because it’s often light, delicate and low on alcohol. The wine spritzer is a summer staple from a simpler time. It’s rumored that Hungarian author András Fáy invented the drink in 1842 when he combined soda water (a wildly popular drink back then) with wine from his cellar during a party.

Other historians insist that Austria invented the drink, and the Italians improved on it (by added Prosecco) during the time when Venice was under the occupation of the Austrian empire. Today in many regions of , especially Venice and its surrounding areas, a spritz is a popular, light cocktail with a mix of sparkling white wine (Prosecco), sparkling water, and Aperol, bitter Campari or other colored aperitifs. Today, the spritzer is in vogue once again, making a comeback at garden parties across the nation, and even on the TV show “Shark Tank,” where a new product Bon Affair was recently funded. And there’s good reason: When done well, the wine spritzer is one of the most perfect libations for a hot summer’s day of outdoor sipping. Before delving into more complicated wine spritzer recipes, it’s important to know how to make a classic white wine spritzer. It’s really easy — you just mix one-third cup of club soda with a cup of white wine (a good rule of thumb, regardless of batch size, is three parts wine to one part club soda).

From there you can add fruit and/or sugar; for example mix in a cocktail shaker 5 ounces of good-quality, dry white wine with 2 ounces of soda water, along with two strawberries, a teaspoon of sugar, and crushed ice.best glass to serve wine Following are recipes for a modern wine spritzer, and a refreshing Italian spritz from famed chef Mario Batali:best wine tasting in the bay area 3 oz. aromatic white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling)wine tags to buy 1 oz. club sodabest wine in large bottles Dash of orange or lemon bittersbest value wine bc

1 orange or lemon twist Steps: Pour wine into a glass filled with ice; top off with club soda and bitters. Garnish with orange twist.best italian wine bars 4 slices of orange 4 large green olives (optional) Steps: Add ¼ cup Aperol to four glasses and fill each with ice. Pour ½ cup Prosecco to each glass, add orange slice and place olive on top with a long toothpick. All Bar & Wine Bar Tools & Accessories (436) Ice Buckets & Chillers (304) Wine Racks & Storage (190) Books & Games (18) kate spade new york Nevaeh White by Fitz and Floyd SGD 0 - SGD 37 SGD 39 - SGD 75 SGD 76 - SGD 150 SGD 151 - SGD 300 SGD 301 - SGD 450 SGD 451 - SGD 600 SGD 601 - SGD 750 Price - low to high Price - high to low Wine Enthusiast Double Walled Iceless Wine Bottle Chiller Prodyne Wine Party Tub Oggi™ Stainless Steel Double Wall Ice Bucket with Tongs

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