The Cynar Spritz - An Italian Inspiration

I’ve been making a few cocktails lately using Cynar as an ingredient. The artichoke-based amaro has a gentle vegetal and earthy bitterness that I find especially enjoyable in an afternoon cocktail. During our recent trip to Italy, I spotted a sign outside a Venice café advertising a Cynar Spritz. This variation on the Italian spritz tradition is said to have originated in Northern Italy around Venice and Padua. Intrigued, I made a mental note to try one at the first opportunity, and I soon found myself enjoying the aperitif several times during our travels.

Like most Spritz cocktails, the recipe is simple.

Cynar Spritz

2 oz Cynar

3 oz chilled Prosecco

1 oz soda water

Lemon wedge or olive for garnish

Fill a wine glass with ice. Add the Cynar first, followed by the Prosecco and finally the soda water. Garnish with either a lemon wedge or olive.

In Italy, I enjoyed versions garnished with both lemon and olives, though I found I preferred the olive. The drinks there appeared to use Castelvetrano olives, which is what I used at home.

Like many Cynar cocktails, the presentation is not the most visually striking, with a color with a deep cola-like hue reminiscent of a ‘Jack and Coke.’ Compared to the more popular Aperol Spritz, the Cynar version is less citrusy and offers more herbal and savory notes.

To my delight, the Cynar Spritz paired exceptionally well with medium-bodied cigars, especially darker maduro blends. I recently enjoyed one alongside an Umbagog Bronzeback from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, accompanied by a platter of meats and cheeses as a late afternoon aperitivo.

The earthy, cocoa, and leather notes of the cigar complemented the drink beautifully. While the bitterness of the Cynar muted some of the Umbagog Bronzeback’s pepper notes, it seemed to amplify the cigar’s cocoa and espresso characteristics. Taking a sip immediately after a draw brought out even more herbal and root-like bitterness in the bubbly cocktail.

I have many fond memories from our trips to Italy, and enjoying this new-to-me cocktail helps bring back those wonderful experiences.

Cheers!