Negroni Sbagliato Spritz

negroni

The negroni sbagliato spritz is a low ABV cocktail. Sbagliato means “wrong,” or  “messed up.” The twist on the classic negroni cocktail supposedly originated when a rushed Italian bartender making a negroni accidentally picked up a bottle of Prosecco instead of gin. A fortunate mistake for some of us as a new drink was born.

A classic negroni is equal parts gin, campari, and sweet vermouth. This recipe for the negroni sbagliato spritz uses a bit more Prosecco than you would gin. I like this spritz with up to about 3 oz of prosecco.

Low ABV, alcohol by volume, or low proof drinks, are perfect for everything from brunch and day drinking to happy hour or after-dinner drinks. Low ABV cocktails are one of the biggest bar trends in recent years.  They continue to grow in popularity and are generally crafted with the same care as ‘proper’ cocktails. These drinks are for the casual drinker that is looking for a tasty cocktail concoction that is low in calories, tasty, and low proof.

The negroni sbagliato spritz meets these criteria. You may also want to try my American in Paris cocktail as another alternative for a refreshing drink that you can enjoy during the day or on a warm summer evening.

The negroni sbagliato spritz has three ingredients: Campari, red vermouth, and prosecco. Campari is an Italian liqueur and is an aperitif. It is made with herbs and fruit and it is a bitters. The red vermouth or “rosso”  is not a sweet vermouth and it is actually a dark amber brown color. The prosecco is a light, crisp, sparkling Italian white wine. You may have used it to make mimosas or an Aperol spritz.

These 3 low proof alcohols are combined over ice and gently stirred to create the negroni sbagliato spritz.   Serve the spritz in a low ball glass over ice and garnish with a slice of orange.

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