Calling all spritz lovers! A new spritz has entered the chat. 💬 This blood orange spritz cocktail is made with arancello liqueur (also known as blood orange liqueur), prosecco, and soda water.
It seems like every spring and summer, another spritz steals the spotlight on social media, and for good reason. They’re sort of the distant cousin of the mimosa, made with Prosecco instead of champagne, and liqueur instead of juice. And THIS spritz is ready for the limelight (orangelight??): it’s sweet and tart like a classic lemoncello spritz, but a biiiit more mellow.
My grandmother‘s family is from Calabria, the toe of the boot in Italy, which is famous for being a train ferry ride from Sicily (yes, I said TRAIN FERRY. As in…the train is LOADED ONTO THE FERRY 🤯). And Sicily is world famous for many exports, one of them being blood oranges. This spritz celebrates Sicilian culture with homemade blood orange liqueur, Prosecco and soda water. Sorta like the ever popular Aperol spritz, the beloved floral St. Germaine spritz, and the rising to fame Sarti spritz.
During peak blood orange season (January through March), you can pick up a couple bags of blood oranges and make your own batch of arancello rossa liqueur. Pair your spritzes with classic Italian appetizers like marinated mozzarella and tomato salad, garlic bread dip, and crusty Italian bread for an antipasto hour that no one will soon forget!
why this blood orange spritz recipe works:
⚖️ perfectly balanced. By using a simple ratio of liqueur-to-Prosecco-to-soda-water, the cocktail is kept light, refreshing, and perfect for sipping on a sunny afternoon.
🍊 seasonal star. Using blood orange liqueur gives this spritz a super seasonal spin, but the cool part is, once you have a batch of arancello rossa made, you can sip it any time of year!
🫧 light & bubbly. The ratio of Prosecco to liqueur to soda water is that classic 3-2-1 spritz ratio, which means we’re keeping things light, bubbly and refreshing!
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 how to make a blood orange spritz
1: Add soda water first, so it layers in with the other ingredients.
2: Pour in chilled arancello rossa.
3: Top with cold prosecco.
4: Garnish with a blood orange wheel and serve immediately.
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ how to serve your orange spritzes
- antipasto hour – serve your blood orange spritz alongside appetizers like marinated mozzarella and whipped ricotta dip for a complete Sicilian-inspired experience.
- al fresco dinner – this spritz also pairs beautifully with light pasta dishes like creamy ricotta pasta for an elevated weeknight meal!
- with a non-alcoholic option – partner this spritz with a blood orange Italian soda to give guests a choice of cocktail or mocktail!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- adjust the ratio – if the flavor of your sports isn’t quite right, you can adjust to your taste preferences. You can add more soda water to mellow out the flavor, or you can omit the soda water altogether. #NoJudgment.
- chill out – make sure all ingredients are properly chilled before you mix your drinks. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see folks make when mixing drinks at home!
- get the best flavor – making your own blood orange liqueur is the best way to get top-notch flavor, but if you can’t make your own, I recommend using a high quality store-bought brand like Solerno blood orange liqueur.
⚖️ scaling tips
If you wanna serve your spritzes to a crowd, it’s a really easy recipe to put in a picture or large serving jug.
You can also make fun and seasonal ice cubes like these blood orange ice cubes in a king size cube to make for a really stunning display while also keeping your drink cool.
Just make sure that you combine all ingredients shortly before you plan to serve your spritzes. This will keep the bubbles intact longer for your guests after a couple hours. This drink will start to go flat.
♻️ customize your spritzes
- add juice – you can add a splash of your favorite fruit juice to this spritz for a mimosa-esque spin! Try fresh blood orange juice, or a bit of passion fruit puree and mango juice for a makeshift sarti spritz!
- add syrup – want a sweeter spritz? Add a bit of infused simple syrup for a boost of flavor and sweetness! Try my blood orange syrup, key lime syrup, or lemon syrup to boost the citrus flavor!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 can you store a spritz?!
All spritz cocktails are best served immediately after making because of the bubbles and effervescence in them. If you find yourself with any leftovers, make sure to store them properly. Use a champagne stopper on your bottle of Prosecco to keep it nice and bubbly. You can also store any leftover spritzes any airtight bottle with a stopper to preserve as much carbonation as possible.
💬 q+a
What brand of blood orange liqueur is best for a spritz?
Homemade!!! 😛 Seriously, try making your own liqueurs for the best flavor! But if you MUST go with a store bought brand, I recommend Solerno liqueur.
Can I use regular oranges instead of blood oranges?
If you use regular oranges and regular orange liqueur, this will technically be a totally different cocktail. Sort of like those recipe reviews you see where people say they changed 4 ingredients and…surprise…didn’t like it. 🫠
How do I keep my spritz from getting watered down?
Make sure all ingredients are properly chilled BEFORE mixing your cocktails. This is the best way to keep your ice from melting too quickly. Also, use larger ice cubes so they last longer. I love using 1-inch square cubes of clear ice because they melt slowly.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read every single comment! I also love connecting on social media, so snap a pic and hashtag it #myrecipeforfun and tag me on TikTok or pin this recipe on Pinterest!
Blood Orange Spritz with Blood Orange Liqueur and Prosecco
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Equipment
- 1 wine glass or large coupe glass
- 1 measuring beaker or jigger
Ingredients
- 1 ounce soda water use a blood orange soda for more flavor!
- 2 ounces blood orange liqueur homemade, or a brand such as Solerno.
- 3 ounces prosecco
- ice cubes blood orange ice cubes for more fun!
- blood oranges for garnish
Instructions
- Prep glass. Fill your cocktail glass with ice.ice cubes
- Add soda water. Pour in 1 ounce of soda water. For more orange flavor you can use a blood orange soda.1 ounce soda water
- Layer liqueur. Pour in 2 ounces of blood orange liqueur, also called arancello rossa.2 ounces blood orange liqueur
- Top with prosecco. Top with 3 ounces of Prosecco.3 ounces prosecco
- Stir to combine. Give your cocktail a quick stir with a cocktail spoon to make sure all ingredients are well mixed.
- Garnish. Garnish with a fresh blood orange wheel or a dehydrated blood orange wheel.blood oranges
- Serve. Serve your spritzes immediately for maximum bubbliness!
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- adjust the ratio – if the flavor of your sports isn’t quite right, you can adjust to your taste preferences. You can add more soda water to mellow out the flavor, or you can omit the soda water altogether. #NoJudgment.
- chill out – make sure all ingredients are properly chilled before you mix your drinks. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see folks make when mixing drinks at home!
- get the best flavor – making your own blood orange liqueur is the best way to get top-notch flavor, but if you can’t make your own, I recommend using a high quality store-bought brand like Solerno blood orange liqueur.
Did someone say ‘drink of the summer’? I’m going to make this floor our next bbq, yum!
This would be the PERFECT summer bbq spritz, Nancy!! I hope you enjoy it, thanks so much for your comment!💕