I was craving this drink, googled it, and discovered that Westword's Cafe Society recently wrote about it. Coincidence? Probably not, since it seems to be the "thing" in Denver and probably else where right now.
The drink is an Aperol Spritz. I actually wrote about it here, when I had it the first time at The Squeaky Bean.
An aperol spritz contains the Italian apertif Aperol. Some of its ingredients include bitter orange and rhubarb. It definitely gives the drink a subtle bitter taste that I crave.
To make the spritz, you combine the Aperol with prosecco, soda water, and what I feel may be the most important ingredient: a Castelvetrano olive garnish (although most websites say to use an orange slice as a garnish). According to the Aperol website, the recipe is 2 parts Aperol, 3 parts Prosecco, a splash of soda, and ice. The olive is so delicious after soaking in the drink, it's like the piece of chocolate at the end of a drumstick cone.
So far The Squeaky Bean has done it best, with Boulder's Pizzeria Locale a close second. I had one at Luca D'Italia too and it was decent.
I've been drinking this, when I could get it, this winter but you bet I'm going to be making it at home as the weather warms up. It's funny, because in my original post about it, I said I probably wouldn't try it at home. Never say never. I have a feeling it's going to be my go-to drink this summer.
Salute!
