Spritz has a fully Veneto origin, more precisely from Padova featuring a long history behind it. It is most commonly requested in clubs and bars during aperitif time, but it can also be sipped before lunch or after dinner as if it were a real cocktail.
Its origins
Spritz finds its distant origins in the period when Austro-Hungarian soldiers controlled the Lombardy-Veneto area The soldiers were not accustomed to the alcohol content of the local white wine and therefore preferred to “dilute” it with sparkling water or seltzer (“spritzen” in German ). Many years later the now famous Aperol by the Barbieri brothers, Luigi and Silvio was presented at the first Italian trade fair in Padova in 1919. Around the ’50s it was decided to try to add this other ingredient and so spritz as we all know it today was born.
The recipe
The original recipe undergoes variations today by many clubs and bars that offer interesting alternatives, but the taste remains unmistakable. So, what better place to taste spritz if not where it was created? In the centre of Padova and its surroundings there are countless cafés, restaurants and lounge bars where you can drink the most famous local alcoholic drink, which in 2011 became an official cocktail of the IBA (International Bartenders Association). In the traditional version, an olive and a thin slice of orange are also served in the glass, with chips or small snacks on the side.
The squares, the arcades and the most characteristic corners of the city are the ideal setting for the spritz tasting experience that is an undeniable part of Padova’s life and atmosphere.