Spritz Bianco (a Spritz Veneziano with Luxardo Bitter Bianco)

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The Spritz Bianco is an incredibly refreshing and extremely gorgeous take on the classic Spritz Veneziano cocktail. Made using Luxardo Bitter Bianco, the result is a white spritz that looks sophisticated and tastes charming. It makes a great alternative to the ubiquitous Aperol spritz.

Luxardo Bitter Bianco makes a fabulous white Negroni too.

A spritz Veneziano made with bitter bianco and garnished with lemon.

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Why you’ll love this white spritz
What is a Spritz Veneziano?
What is Luxardo Bitter Bianco?
Ingredients notes
Instructions: the correct way to make a Spritz
Expert tips
Frequently asked questions
More Italian bitters cocktails
📖 Recipe

When it comes to summertime refreshment, Italians know what they are doing. This Spritz Bianco is a gorgeous rendition of the classic Spritz Veneziano cocktail. It is made with Luxardo Bitters Bianco rather than more typical Italian bitters such as Aperol, Select and Campari.

The result is a drink that is delicate and pleasing on the eye. In fact, visually, this white spritz is in direct contrast to the vibrant orange of the Aperol Spritz. This one is radiant in its understated elegance and lends itself to the prettiest of garnishes.

Despite the gentler colour, expect fresh herbal bitter qualities to shine in this effervescent Spritz Bianco. This libation is exactly how summer heat should be endured.

Close up of a white spritz with lemon, rosemary and olive garnish.

In the market for more spritz riffs? I’ve got recipes for limoncello spritz, sloe gin spritz and Pimms spritz up for grabs.

Why you’ll love this white spritz

It’s different. As lovely as an Aperol spritz is, a change is often welcome.
Luxardo Bitter Bianco lends a colourless hue to the drink, so is perfect for creating a more subtle-looking drink compared to more famous versions of the Spritz Veneziano.
But there is still a great twang of bitterness within the glass.
This drink is so easy to prepare – it’s made directly in the serving glass.
It sticks to the classic Spritz 3-2-1 ratio of ingredients, so the Bitter Bianco is the predominant flavour.
And, best of all, a Luxardo Bitter Bianco Spritz is incredibly refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

What is a Spritz Veneziano?

The Spritz Veneziano (“Venetian spritz”) is an Italian aperitif combining Italian bitter liqueur with Prosecco and soda water. The original version (no more than watered-down wine) was created around 1800 but by the 1920s it had been upgraded to include Select – an aperitivo born in Venice in 1920.

There are many versions of the Spritz Veneziano that include a wide variety of Italian bitter liqueurs (Amaro). Amongst the most popular are the Aperol Spritz and Campari Spritz. The Bianco Spritz is a less well-known, but particularly delightful, alternative to these boldly colourful versions.

What is Luxardo Bitter Bianco?

Bitter Bianco is the brainchild of Luxardo, the Italian distillery behind Maraschino liqueur. This Luxardo bitter liqueur has some notable characteristics:

It includes numerous botanicals such as gentian, wormwood, orange and cinchona.
Zesty citrus fruits (grapefruit and lemon) are used to counterbalance the bitterness of gentian and quinine.
The result is a liqueur with bittersweet notes.
Expect to taste plenty of citrus hints (orange, lemon, grapefruit) along with rooty bitterness, rosemary-led herbal nuances and a touch of white pepper. Delicious.
This liqueur has an off-white ivory colouration.
It can be used in numerous cocktails, not just the spritz and negroni.

Ingredients notes

Ingredients for an Italian bitters cocktail with text overlay.

Luxardo Bitter Bianco: this is by far the best Italian bitter liqueur to achieve a truly white spritz. Hunt out a bottle if you can.

Prosecco: this is the top choice of sparkling wine for a Spritz Bianco. However, alternative sparkling white wines from Italy could also work. And of course, a still Italian white wine is perfectly acceptable for those preferring less fizz. Whatever wine you go with, make sure it is on the drier side rather than sweet.

Queen olives: these should be in brine rather than oil (nobody really wants an oily spritz). It doesn’t matter whether or not they have the stone in or out.

Instructions: the correct way to make a Spritz

Have you ever made an Aperol spritz only to wind up with the Aperol sitting in the bottom of the glass rather than being mixed in? Annoying, yes? Not only does it look wrong, it means that those gorgeous bitters are not well-distributed with the other liquids in the drink.

There’s a trick to mixing the perfect Spritz cocktail regardless of which bitters you are using. Follow the technique below to ensure that your Luxardo Bitter Bianco Spritz is perfectly mixed. It may not be so obvious colourwise in this drink, but the overall flavour benefits hugely:

Pour the Luxardo Bitter Bianco into an empty medium-sized wine glass.
Then pour in the Prosecco.
Add the soda water.
Now fill the glass with ice (as much as the glass can take).
Garnish with a slice of lemon and (optional) olives and rosemary.
Serve immediately.

Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Collage of images showing an Italian bitters cocktail being made.

Expert tips

A Spritz Bianco is one of the simplest cocktails to make as it is assembled in the serving glass. But there are a few tricks to ensuring the best drink possible from this recipe:

Top tip: Don’t mix a batch of servings together in a jug. This is one drink that is best assembled and served in individual glasses as and when required.

Use a medium-sized wine glass so there’s room for plenty of ice and garnishes.
Chill all ingredients and the glass (if possible). A spritz Bianco should always be ice-cold for maximum refreshment and using pre-chilled alcohol won’t lead to over-dilution of the drink.
Ensure you have plenty of ice to hand.
Prepare the garnishes before pouring the drink.
Add the ingredients in the correct order to ensure the drink mixes well.
Add the ice carefully to avoid damaging the glass and causing the drink to splash over the top.

Frequently asked questions

What’s a good Luxardo Bitter Bianco substitute in a white spritz?

Suze or Salers are the best options if you do not have Bitter Bianco to hand.

Suze is a bitter French aperitif flavoured with gentian root, with a spicy, floral and citrusy taste.

Salers is another French apéritif with a bitter edge to it. Made from gentian root, white wine and botanical flavourings. It is bold in flavour and slightly vegetal, so may not be to everybody’s taste.

Both options have a distinctive yellow hue so will result in a pale golden spritz cocktail. Nonetheless, they make acceptable Luxardo Bitter Bianco substitutes.

What’s the alcohol content of a spritz Bianco?

This Luxardo Bitter Bianco Spritz is approximately 15% ABV (alcohol by volume). The Bitter Bianco is 30% ABV and Prosecco is around 11% ABV.

Different bitters, such as Select, Campari or Aperol will have different ABV levels, so if you are interested in calculating the alcohol content of these Spritz Veneziano variants, you will need to calculate them separately.

How should I garnish a white spritz?

In my opinion, the spritz Bianco begs for a slice of lemon rather than orange.

Plump and juicy queen olives (in brine rather than oil) and a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme are optional extras.

A spritz bianco with lemon, olive and rosemary garnish.

More Italian bitters cocktails

Have you made this Luxardo Bianco Spritz? If you have please give it a rating or leave a comment – I love to hear how you get along with my creations.

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