Part wine, part cocktail, spritzes are having a moment

Spritzes conjure images of Italian Girl Summer, when seemingly everyone you follow on Instagram is on vacay sipping an oversized, fizzy Aperol concoction.

The light, refreshing drinks typically start with a base of either prosecco or white wine, an aperitif for flavoring and a splash of a bubbly soda water to cleanse the palate.

Serve on ice to keep chilled, add a little garnish for color and, clink, you have the perfect drink for those warmer months that call for something more approachable than a heavier cocktail.

“I think it kind of captures that market of the white wine drinkers who are looking for more of a cocktail and not just a glass of wine,” says Emilie Alton, CEO of Byronz Restaurant Family Group. “It gives the wine drinker more creativity.”

When Bistro Byronz Mid City reopened as the stylishly rebranded Brasserie Byronz last fall, the menu and cocktail program got an overhaul borrowing inspo from the brasseries of Paris, New York and New Orleans. Its drink menu now has a whole section dedicated entirely to spritzes. Each has distinct flavors, like the floral Dandy Germain and the tangy La Lillet.

Alton loves that spritzes don’t seem to be exclusive to a certain demographic. There’s something for everyone.

The neutral base of prosecco or white wine has allowed drinkers to layer fresh flavor combinations over it, fueling the beverages’ evolution and popularity.

This past summer, national outlets like Punch and Food52 noted experimentation with tequila, Filipino calamansi liqueur and even beer. Meanwhile, TikTokkers are swapping seltzer for Poppi’s orange-flavored soda.

“You can really have the opportunity to zhuzh it up with different creative flavoring and ingredients,” Alton says. 

Popping off

The Aperol Spritz, remixed at Brasserie Byronz

Dandy Germain

St. Germain brings sweet and aromatic elderflower flavors to this floral bev with a prosecco base. It’s topped with bubbly soda and a mint garnish.

Zou Bisou

A strawberry-infused vermouth mingles with prosecco and soda for a sweeter, fruitier sip with a basil flourish.

La Lillet

Alton’s personal fave is ideal for grapefruit lovers. Prosecco and soda meet Lillet Blanc, a sweet, tangy pamplemousse liqueur, garnished with a grapefruit twist.

Classic Aperol Spritz

Last but not least, the ever-popular icon is made with white wine, soda and Aperol, a somewhat bitter aperitif with citrus and herbal flavors.

This article was originally published in the September 2025 issue of 225 magazine.