Home / FAQ

Which Prosecco is best for an Aperol Spritz or mimosas?

Pick a dry Prosecco D.O.C. Brut for an Aperol Spritz or an orange-juice mimosa. The bitter orange aperitivo and the juice already bring sweetness, so a Brut keeps the drink bright instead of sugary. For pink mimosas and rosé spritzes, use a Rosé Brut, which adds red berry and peach.

Why Brut works best in a spritz

An Aperol Spritz is a balance of bitter, sweet and fizz. The aperitivo brings bitter orange and sugar. A sweeter Prosecco piles on more sugar, and the drink turns heavy by the second sip. A Brut cuts through, so you taste the orange peel and the bubbles.

The classic ratio is easy to remember: 3, 2, 1.

• 3 parts Prosecco D.O.C. Brut (about 3 oz)
• 2 parts Aperol (about 2 oz)
• 1 part soda water (about 1 oz)

Build it in a large wine glass full of ice, Prosecco first so it does not sink to the bottom, then a slice of orange. One 750 ml bottle makes about eight spritzes.

Mimosas: Brut for orange juice

Orange juice is sweet on its own, so the same logic applies. A Brut keeps the mimosa fresh and lets the fruit taste like fruit.

• Classic: equal parts chilled Brut and fresh orange juice.
• Lighter and fizzier: 2 parts Brut to 1 part juice, about 4 oz Prosecco to 2 oz juice.

Pour the Prosecco first, slowly, at an angle, then top with juice. No stirring, which knocks out the bubbles. At the 2 to 1 pour, a bottle makes about six mimosas.

Our Bella Principessa Prosecco D.O.C. Brut is dry and crisp, with green apple, pear and a squeeze of citrus that sits naturally beside orange.

Pink mimosas and rosé spritzes

For a brunch that looks as good as it tastes, swap in a Rosé Brut. Our Bella Principessa Rosé Brut brings strawberry, raspberry and ripe peach, and it is still dry, so the drink stays balanced.

• Pink mimosa: 2 parts Rosé Brut to 1 part pink grapefruit or blood orange juice.
• Rosé spritz: 3 parts Rosé Brut, 2 parts Aperol or an elderflower liqueur, 1 part soda, over ice with a few raspberries.
• Peach Bellini twist: 2 parts Rosé Brut to 1 part white peach purée. The wine’s own peach note does the rest.

A few tips for the best glass

• Chill everything: the bottle, the juice and, if there is room, the glasses. A few hours in the fridge, or twenty minutes in an ice bucket with water, does it.
• Open bottles as you go rather than all at once, so the last round fizzes like the first. Twist the bottle, not the cork, for a quiet, safe opening.
• Serving a crowd? Set out one bottle of Brut and one of Rosé Brut, and let guests choose orange or pink.

For more classic recipes, from the Bellini to the French 75, see the prosecco.com cocktail guide.