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This summer, UK web searches for “Hugo spritz”, an elderflower-flavoured aperitif, overtook searches for “Aperol spritz” for the first time. As the spritz craze shows no sign of slowing down, pub chains are taking wild liberties, calling anything fizzy and served in a large glass over ice a spritz – and charging £10-plus for it. Echo Falls blue raspberry spritz? Pink gin spritz (Slug & Lettuce)? Raspberry vodka and honey spritz (Young’s)? Malibu cranberry spritz (Stonegate)? Mamma mia!

Traditionally, the spritz is an Italian cocktail made from prosecco, a bitter aperitif or liqueur, and a splash of soda water to keep things steady. While Venetian bartenders are more likely to judge it by eye, there is a simple 3-2-1 formula for making a spritz at home: three parts prosecco, two parts liqueur and one part soda water. I’ve gone with 75ml/50ml/25ml – keep the same ratios to make a smaller (60ml/40ml/20ml) or larger (90ml/60ml/30ml) drink. Of course, you can then adjust it to make it stronger or weaker (I have been known to leave out the soda …).

If wine-based cocktails aren’t to your taste, shandy is also showing signs of a resurgence – Ocado sales have increased 40% year on year, and the craft brand Shandy Shack is now stocked in M&S. Being half beer, half soft drink, it is another summery thirst-quencher that is easy to make at home and (in theory) shouldn’t get you too sloshed.

So, here are 20 simple spritzes and shandies. Save your Malibu for a piña colada.

Five bittersweet spritzes

All recipes make one drink. Pour the liquids into a large glass with ice, stir briefly and garnish.

Select spritz
The bittersweet aperitif Select (17.5% ABV) was created in Venice in 1920, and lo, the original spritz (AKA spritz Veneziano) was born. Select contains 30 herbs and botanicals, most noticeably rhubarb roots.

75ml prosecco
50ml Select
25ml soda water
Green olive, to garnish

Campari spritz
My personal favourite. Bitter Campari (25%) was invented near Milan in 1860 from a still-secret blend of herbs, spices and fruit peels; the spritz version came later.

75ml prosecco
50ml Campari
25ml soda water
Slice of orange, to garnish

Aperol spritz
All-conquering Aperol (11%) was created in Padua in 1919 from a mix of herbs, roots and fruits. It is sweeter and less alcoholic than most similar bittersweet liqueurs.

75ml prosecco
50ml Aperol
25ml soda water
Slice of orange, to garnish

Cynar spritz
Artichoke-based, herbal Cynar (16.5%), also from Padua, was first made in 1952.

75ml prosecco
50ml Cynar
25ml soda water
Twist of lemon or grapefruit peel, to garnish

Vermouth spritz
Sweet red vermouth (15-18%), a fortified wine, emerged in Turin in the late 18th century; dry white vermouth appeared in Chambéry, France, a couple of decades later. Either can be used in a spritz, or mixed with tonic water.

75ml prosecco
50ml red or white vermouth
25ml soda water
Slice of orange (red) or lemon (white), to garnish

Five alternative spritzes

Hugo spritz
The fresh and floral hugo is a recent addition to the spritz canon. It is said to have been invented in a bar in Naturno, northern Italy, in 2005. The original recipe used lemon balm syrup, which was replaced by more widely available elderflower cordial. Today, it is more common to use elderflower liqueur, such as the French St-Germain (20%). Some add a shot of gin for an extra kick.

75ml prosecco
50ml elderflower liqueur
25ml gin (optional)
25ml soda water
Fresh mint, to garnish

Limoncello spritz
A light, zesty citrus spritz made from limoncello (26-30%), a lemon-flavoured liqueur first produced around 1900 in Naples, the Amalfi coast and Sicily.

75ml prosecco
50ml limoncello
25ml soda water
Slice of lemon and sprig of mint or thyme, to garnish

Italicus spritz
Another newer spritz, made from the bergamot-flavoured Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto (20%), which has been produced near Turin since 2016.

75ml prosecco
50ml Italicus
25ml soda water
Green olive, to garnish

Sarti spritz
Casa Sarti, a liqueur-maker, was founded in Bologna in 1885, but Sarti Rosa (14%) was only launched in 2023. It makes a sweet, almost tropical spritz flavoured with blood orange, mango and passionfruit.

75ml prosecco
50ml Sarti Rosa
25ml soda water
Slice of lime, to garnish

Amaretto spritz
Almond-flavoured amaretto (21-28%), a sweet liqueur from Saronno in Lombardy, has got in on the spritz action. It’s a good option for chillier days.

75ml prosecco
50ml amaretto
25ml soda water
Slice of lemon and a cocktail cherry, to garnish

Three non-Italian spritzes

Lillet spritz
Maison Lillet was founded in Podensac, Bordeaux, in 1872. Today, Lillet – an aromatised wine – comes in red, white and rosé versions. Like vermouth, any can be used in a spritz or mixed with tonic.

75ml prosecco
50ml Lillet Blanc, Rouge or Rosé
25ml soda water
Slice of lemon (Blanc), orange (Rouge) or grapefruit (Rosé), to garnish

Kir spritz
Crème de cassis (15-20%), a blackcurrant liqueur, first appeared in Burgundy in 1841. It’s best known as a component of kir (mixed with white wine) and kir royal (mixed with champagne), but also works well in a spritz.

75ml prosecco
50ml crème de cassis
25ml soda water
Blackcurrants and a sprig of thyme, to garnish

Kumquat spritz
Kumquats were introduced to Corfu in 1846 and have been turned into liqueur (20-25%) since the 1920s. Today, the kumquat spritz is the island’s bright orange alternative to Aperol.

75ml prosecco
50ml kumquat liqueur (or orange liqueur)
25ml soda water (or ginger beer, which is popular in Corfu)
Kumquat (or slice of orange), to garnish

Seven shandies

Shandies couldn’t be any easier to make – they are a 50:50 ratio of beer and mixer (adjust to taste). I’ve gone for 220ml, half a standard UK beer can. Use a chilled glass, pour the soft drink in first, then slowly add the beer.

Classic lager shandy
Try cloudy or still lemonade to mix things up.

220ml lemonade
200ml lager

Shandygaff
The original British shandy, which dates back to 1853. You could also try it with root beer as the mixer.

220ml ginger beer or ginger ale
220ml ale or bitter

Radler
Popular in Germany and Austria, in lemon and grapefruit flavours.

220ml pink grapefruit soda
220ml lager

Russ
A drink particularly associated with Bavaria, Germany.

200ml lemonade
220ml wheat beer

Fruit shandy
Try rose or raspberry lemonade, blood orange or lime soda, or elderflower presse …

220ml fruit soda
220ml pale ale

Cola shandy
Yes, it’s a thing – it’s known as beer-cola in France, mazout in Belgium and diesel in Germany.

220ml cola
220ml lager

Portergaff
The beer writer Sophie Atherton also recommends pairing porter with raspberry lemonade, and stout with cream soda.

220ml lemonade or ginger beer
220ml porter or stout