Nordic Spritz

The Aperol Spritz conquered the world by being exactly what it appears to be: orange, effervescent, and just serious enough to count as a cocktail while being approachable enough for people who think they don't like cocktails. But its success created a template that begs for variation—what other combinations of spirit, bubbles, and brightness might work just as well? Enter the Nordic Spritz, which takes the Italian aperitivo format and relocates it to somewhere with midnight sun and aquavit. The caraway and botanical notes of aquavit might seem like strange bedfellows for sparkling wine, but they work through the same principle that makes the Aperol version successful: the bubbles carry the aromatics while softening any harsh edges. Licor 43 provides the bridge, its vanilla-citrus warmth rounding out aquavit's more angular flavors. The result is a spritz that tastes like what would happen if prosecco grapes had grown up in a Scandinavian herb garden—familiar but foreign, refreshing but complex.