spritz

Spritz In Italy a lot of people like to have an “ aperitivo”, an alcoholic drink made of white wine and juice before having lunch. In the afternoon a lot of people ( especially the youth ) go to a bar and have a spritz. Spritz was invented by the Austrians during their occupation of Italy because they couldn’t drink the Italian wine: it was too strong for them. Nowadays drinking a spritz is a sort of tradition, especially in Veneto. Spritz is an alcoholic drink and can be “bianco” or “macchiato”. The “ bianco” is made of white wine, Selz and ice, while the “macchiato” is usually made of white wine, Selz, ice and Aperol, but you can also choose Campari, China Martina or other alcoholics instead of Aperol. If you go to a bar and order a spritz, they usually bring you crisps, too. Some people like drinking a spritz eating some “spunciotti” ( also called “spunci” ) that are little things to eat such as olives, croquettes, sandwiches, and so on. At 6 o’clock in some bars there can be the happy hour: if you order a spritz they give you some “spunci”, too. In Padua, in the evening, a lot of people meet in some squares and have a spritz together. This is a good occasion to know new people and to have fun!