This frutti di bosco spritz tastes like the perfect summer sip: light, fruity, and full of flavor!
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It should come as no surprise that I’m obsessed with spritzes. I’ve always loved wine and wine cocktails (who doesn’t love a great sangria?), so spritzes were an immediate win.
The iconic, of course, is the Aperol spritz. It lives up to the hype and is still my go-to for aperitivo, Italian happy hour.
It’s certainly not the only spritz around Italy! Other Italian classics include Campari (more bitter), Hugo (sweeter), Select (the Venetian original), and Cynar (more herbal).
But the reality is, nearly anything can be made into a spritz! Over the years I’ve shared my own spritzes for every season: strawberry mint for spring, apple cinnamon & pear for fall, and pomegranate for winter. So it was time for a summer spritz!
Frutti di bosco spritz tastes like summer: big, fruity flavors in a refreshing summer drink! It’s perfect for hosting on the balcony on a summer evening, and the drinks are simple enough to toss together that you don’t need much prep time.
Frutti di bosco is Italian for fruits of the forest, meaning berries. The typical combination is raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. You’ll also find currants included in Italy, and sometimes folks will toss in strawberries for good measure. It’s your cocktail, so really it’s up to you!
You choose whether you want to go the liqueur route or the fruit juice route. I actually prefer using berry juice, but I know mixed berry juice is less common in the average US grocery store! Plus, you don’t want one with a lot of extra sugar. Chambord – or any raspberry-flavored liqueur – is great too.
A muddler is your friend here! I don’t believe in buying a ton of tools that single task, but a muddler is a great all-around cocktail tool. A good cocktail tool set isn’t expensive and makes a fun gift too! If you don’t have one, you can use the back of a spoon. The goal is to crush the berries, but you don’t want to break your glass if you’re using a stemmed wine glass!
Typically, when I make spritzes at home, I skip the sparkling water: it doesn’t add anything flavor-wise. But this round, I like the addition of a splash to balance out the intensity of the juice! But either way, it’s always a good idea to taste before you add it to decide what you like best and adjust.
One more note: it’s not the same with frozen fruit. Especially if you’re planning to garnish the whole thing with whole berries anyway, stick with fresh!
Tools you’ll need: wine glass or cocktail class and muddler.
Frutti di bosco spritz
Ingredients
- 3 oz Prosecco
- 2 oz Chambord or berry juice
- 2 oz raspberries, blueberries, & blackberries fresh is best
- dash bitters
- splash sparkling water to taste
Instructions
- Add half the berries to a glass, and gently muddle them.
- Add the Prosecco and Chambord (or berry juice). Stir, taste, and then add a dash of bitters and splash of sparkling water.
- Stir again, taste, and adjust with more bitters or sparkling water as needed.
- Top with a few more whole berries, and enjoy!
Looking for more easy spritz inspiration? Try my spring, fall and winter versions, or grab the aperol or Hugo classics!
