The Easy Advice To Remember When Adding Tequila To Spritz Cocktails

When you order a spritz at a restaurant, you tend to know what to expect. Most spritzes are fruity, citrusy, or floral, with a fun, bubbly texture from a signature base of sparkling white wine and a splash of club soda. That said, these drinks can still pack a good amount of alcohol, as in addition to the white wine, they tend to have a light liquor, such as the Italian aperitif Aperol in a beloved Aperol spritz. But what about adding tequila? Sabato Sagaria, Beverage Director of Marc Forgione's Respect Hospitality Group, has a pro tip for easily creating spritz recipes with the popular distilled liquor.

Respect Hospitality Group operates three restaurants in NYC — Forgione, Trattoria One Fifth, and Peasant — all of which offer a selection of creative alcoholic beverages spearheaded by Sagaria. When it comes to creating new cocktail combinations, he tells Chowhound exclusively, "I usually start with tried-and-true combos as building blocks." Therefore, if you want to add tequila to a spritz, it's best to look at already-known tequila drinks. "Cocktails like the Paloma or the Margarita are great inspirations," he notes and suggests, "For example, Tequila, Limoncello, Prosecco, and soda, or Tequila with Hella bitters and soda, make for a delicious spritz discovery."

There are many fun swaps to spice up a classic spritz, such as the addition of flavored sparkling water or switching out the liquors. Since its origins in the 1800s, a spritz consists of the combination of white wine and club soda. Over time, the drink has evolved to welcome variations, such as Prosecco in place of white wine, other sparkling beverages instead of club soda, and the addition of different alcohols and sweeteners. Now, a recipe for a basic spritz traditionally contains three parts white wine or Prosecco, two parts aperitif or liquor, and a splash of soda water or sparkling water, though it can be easily adjusted to taste.

With Sagaria's expert advice, it's easy to transform your favorite tequila drink into the spritz of your dreams. Take a Paloma, which he suggested as an example. The drink typically consists of tequila, grapefruit juice, and grapefruit soda. To make it into a spritz, consider the grapefruit soda as the carbonated aspect of the drink, add a white wine or Prosecco, and adjust the ratios to create a refreshing beverage. Or you can take a simple floral tequila drink with elderflower or lavender syrup and add white wine and a sparkling element for the elite spritz taste. Transforming a tequila drink into a spritz is simple as the liquor is known to pair well with flavors from across the grid — sweet, spicy, or floral!