At the Oasi, we serve beers, Cinque Terre wines, and cocktails, but the star surely is the Spritz Cocktail! First of all, one of our favorite Italian traditions is the aperitivo before main meals: friends gathering together to share a relaxing moment while having a drink with lots of tasty small tapas.
Besides the many cool bars in Levanto offering it, you can enjoy the Oasi Hotel Happy Hour every afternoon from 5:00 to 7:00.
The tradition
This cocktail’s tradition started when the Austrian soldiers based in the Republic of Venice started to dilute the high alcohol content of the local wine with seltzer or sparkling water. The name is also German: spritzen, meaning to spray.
The actual Spritz was born in the twenties in the same region, simply by adding some Aperol. It is now famous all around Italy and among our visitors :)
The recipe
Spritz is served in a rock or a large wine glass. It’s prepared with a crisp white wine (usually Prosecco), Aperol (or Campari, Select Cynar, China Martini) and a splash of sparkling water or seltzer.
Put a lot of ice cubes and half a slice of orange in the glass. Pour the Prosecco, add the soda and the Aperol, pouring it in a circular motion to prevent it from settling on the bottom.
The Venetian recipe:
- 1/3 of sparkling white wine
- 1/3 bitters
- 1/3 of sparkling water
If you plan to visit beautiful South Tyrol, remember that it still refers to the Austrian original drink, while Venetian’s current recipe is called Venetian.