Zero-Proof Aperitif Spritz with Bitter Orange Cordial

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A grown-up, alcohol-free spritz built exactly like a bar drink: a scratch bittersweet cordial made from citrus-peel oleo-saccharum, gentian root and hibiscus, shaken cold with tart verjus, then topped slowly with sparkling so the drink layers into a sunset gradient in the glass. Garnished with an orange half-wheel and a green olive, it drinks bitter, dry and genuinely aperitivo — no substitute-tasting sweetness, no alcohol.

Ingredients

• 2 large navel or blood oranges
• 1 pink grapefruit
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp dried gentian root (or 1 tbsp dried dandelion root, or 2 dandelion-root tea bags)
• 1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers
• 1/2 tsp coriander seed, lightly crushed
• 1 black tea bag
• 1/4 tsp citric acid (or 2 tsp fresh lemon juice)
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 6 oz bitter orange cordial (from above), chilled
• 4 oz verjus, or 3 oz white grape juice plus 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 12 oz chilled non-alcoholic sparkling wine or club soda
• 1 orange, cut into 4 half-wheels
• 4 Castelvetrano or other green olives
• ice cubes, plus large cubes for serving

Instructions

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the 2 oranges and the grapefruit in wide strips, taking as little white pith as possible. Juice the grapefruit and reserve 2 tablespoons of juice; save the rest for another use.
2. Put the peels in a bowl with the 1 cup sugar and press and rub them together with a muddler or the back of a spoon for 1 minute, until the sugar is damp and fragrant. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour (or up to 4); the sugar will pull out the citrus oils and turn syrupy. This oleo-saccharum step is what makes the cordial taste like a real aperitivo instead of orange soda.
3. Scrape the peels and syrup into a small saucepan with the 1 cup water. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid reaches a bare steam at about 180°F, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not let it boil — hard boiling turns citrus peel harsh.
4. Off the heat, add the gentian root, hibiscus, crushed coriander and the tea bag. Steep exactly 12 minutes, no longer: gentian gets aggressively bitter past that point. Taste at 8 minutes if you are unsure — you want a clean bitterness that lingers, not a scour.
5. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jar, pressing lightly on the solids. Stir in the reserved 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice, the citric acid and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cool uncovered for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. The cordial keeps 3 weeks refrigerated.
6. To build each spritz: combine 1 1/2 oz (3 tablespoons) cold cordial, 1 oz (2 tablespoons) verjus and a tiny pinch of salt in a cocktail shaker with a scoop of ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds — this chills and slightly aerates the base so it holds its layer.
7. Fill a large wine glass or tumbler with big ice cubes. Strain the shaken base over the ice.
8. Top slowly with 3 oz chilled non-alcoholic sparkling wine or club soda, pouring down the side of the glass over a bar spoon or the back of a regular spoon. The lighter sparkling sits above the ruby base for a few seconds, giving you a two-tone gradient — stir once with the spoon just before drinking, or let your guest do it.
9. Slide an orange half-wheel down the inside of the glass, drop in an olive (or spear it on a pick across the rim), and serve immediately while the bubbles are tight. Repeat for the remaining three drinks.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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