Everyone should have a house spritz—a seasonal standard whose proportions are known by heart and ingredients are stocked easily. This is ours. A simple riff on the classic spritz formula originally built to highlight Lini’s fruity, irresistible lambrusco rosato, this has become a spring-summer staple for both of us. Gentian-tinged Cocchi Americano plays the bitter role, while sour grapefruit acts as a foil to is sweetness, simultaneously pumping up the volume on the lambrusco. Built in a pitcher or portioned out in a wine glass, it’s a drink that embodies the spritz philosophy of being both beautiful and simple.
Reprinted with permission from Spritz: Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, with Recipes by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau, copyright © 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photography credit: Dylan + Jeni © 2016