As you might be able to guess from the name, a wine spritzer combines wine (usually white) and club soda, with garnishes. Find out what's in a wine spritzer, how to set up a self-serve wine spritzer bar, and when to serve this refreshing drink.
What is a Wine Spritzer?
A wine spritzer is a light cocktail in which wine is mixed with club soda and served over ice. The soda water lightens up the wine and adds carbonation.
The most basic wine spritzer ingredients are:
Wine
White is the traditional choice for a wine spritzer. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer are ideal varieties to use due to their sweet taste and aromatic nose
Club Soda
Club soda is a neutral sparking soda water. Its plain taste makes it an ideal complement for most wines
Ice
Select large ice cubes, which melt more slowly
For a basic wine spritzer formula, pour 3 ounces of white wine over ice, then top with 1 ounce of club soda. Garnish with an orange peel and a splash of citrus bitters. To scale up your spritzers for a drink pitcher, keep the 1 to 3 ratio of soda to wine, add lemon or orange wheels, and season to taste with bitters.
DIY Wine Spritzer Ideas
The basic wine spritzer recipe is such a classic because it's easy to riff on. Let your imagination be your guide when coming up with summer wine spritzer recipes. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Soda
Club soda is the traditional spritzer ingredient, but if all you've got on hand is seltzer, use that. If the seltzer is flavored, feel free to omit the bitters if the flavors would clash.
Tonic water can be an interesting twist on the wine spritzer. Look for a white wine with tropical fruit notes, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, or Chenin Blanc. Swap out the orange peel garnish for lime and skip the bitters; the quinine in the tonic adds a naturally bitter note.
On humid and hot summer days, turn your wine spritzer into an adult limeade, orangeade, or lemonade by using sparkling citrus soda, such as Pellegrino. Choose a drier white wine over the sweet varieties mentioned above, since the citrus sodas have more natural sweetness. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris work well here.
Wine
White wines are the classic choices for a spritzer, but you can use rose or red wine, too. Rose offers more of a fruity flavor, which you could play up with different garnishes. Strawberries or raspberries work well here, for example.
Red wine enhances the flavor of your spritzer. Look for a dry red, such as a Malbec or Rioja. Play up the tannic notes with a splash of Angostura bitters and use simple soda water, lemon soda (for a twist on the Spanish summer classic Tinto de Verano), or even ginger ale. If you have a fruity red, use summer berries as a garnish instead.
Garnishes
Here, you can really use almost anything as long as you complement the flavor profile of the wine, so let your nose lead the way. Snip rosemary stalks for stirring, make ice cubes infused with lemon verbena, lemon balm, or pineapple mint, or experiment with berries and fruits. If you're hosting a cocktail party, you could leave it up to your guests and set out dishes of different garnishes, so everyone can make their own drink.
When to Serve a Wine Spritzer?
Their light flavor profile and refreshing mouth feel make wine spritzers a natural pairing for summer months. The soda water and ice lighten up the booze, which also means wine spritzers are an ideal beverage for anytime you want to serve an alcoholic drink that's light enough to go down easy. Thus consider serving a wine spritzer when you're having brunch or at the cocktail hour of a summer afternoon wedding.
Because the carbonated water lightens up the drink, wine spritzers are a good choice for anyone who is watching their caloric intake or trying to limit their alcohol intake. You can toss back a few wine spritzers over the course of an al fresco meal without feeling the effects.
Take inspiration from here easy wine spritzer ideas and recipes to mix and match your perfect wine spritzer for any occasion.
