A Cynar Spritz recipe just for you
Hey you, are you an Aperol Spritz fan?
If you answered yes, I’ve got something good for you.
And if you answered no – I still think you should stick around because if an Aperol Spritz is too sweet for you, this may be a better option.
I don’t always crave or love bitter cocktails, but I love a good spritz. And, I’ve really been digging Cynar (pronounced chee-nar) lately. It’s delicious as a floater on top of Palomas, you absolutely need to try it if you haven’t yet.
And if you find yourself asking, what the heck even is Cynar?
Well, that’s totally okay too. Here’s the 411 on Cynar.
It’s an Italian bitter digestivo with 13 botanicals. However, the most prominent is…..artichoke.
It may sound crazy. Drinking artichokes? In a cocktail?
YES. SO much yes because it is absolutely delicious. It adds the exact right amount of zing to cocktails, and the Cynar Spritz is chock-full of it without it being overbearing or too bitter. It’s ideal for sipping on during late summer and fall, and even as you’re heading into winter. I love the bitterness of it and how it plays with the tang of the grapefruit flavor.
And yes, there are many different ways to whip up a Cynar Spritz (some suggest using grapefruit soda like Squirt), though I like using freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and club soda, or doing double duty and using both freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and grapefruit soda.
I never thought I’d be such a huge grapefruit cocktail fan, but here I am.
Cynar Spritz Recipe
This is a nice and easy one, you only need a few ingredients. If you’d like to spice it up, I’m including a fun garnish idea below!
2 oz Cynar
3 oz Cava
2 oz grapefruit juice
Splash of club soda
Grapefruit peel for garnish
1. Pour Cynar, cava, and grapefruit juice into a red wine glass filled with ice.
2. Stir to combine. Top off with club soda.
3. Squeeze peel over top of glass to release oils and drop in to garnish.
*Makes 1 Cynar Spritz
Now, if you’re looking for a fun garnish idea, I played around with some herbs here and came up with this:
Place fresh dill atop your grapefruit peel. And, top that with dried hibiscus. It gives the cocktail some fun texture and the scent of the dill plays right into the Cynar.
I promise you, if you enjoy a slightly bitter cocktail, this one is IT. Now go make a batch and let me know how you liked it!
If you do end up giving it a go, please comment below to let me know what you thought of it or share on Instagram and tag me!
g.
This cocktail is everything! We absolutely must try to make this when you’re up in NE during the fall!
Yes, please!! It’s so good.