Kazia Jankowski - big world | small kitchen

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Kim Kazia Venice

Venice was built for summertime. When bright rays of sun reflect off the blue Mediterranean and movie stars sunbathe along the coast, Italy’s historic city is at its best. For a moment, you forget that Venice is sinking into the sea—or it was once ravaged by the bubonic plague. Instead, you simply wonder where you’ll find the next patio for pizza and the next stop for gelato.

It was during this idyllic season last year that my friend Kim and I arrived in Venice. We’d left behind Denver, the city where we’d met the first day of Kindergarten and where we’d spent nearly 25 years laughing over meals and crying at movies. We were off to a new adventure—the 67th annual Venice Film Festival.

Venice greeted us in style—with sunshine and Aperol spritz. The morning we arrived was fresh, the water lapped against the coastline, and the sky was clear. We spent the day trailing behind our German friends, along beaches and through cultural exhibits. The sun baked our shoulders brown. That night, we took in the evening drinking Aperol spritz.

The signature cocktail of Venice is a simple drink: white wine, a pour of sparkling water, a dash of sweet Aperol apertif, and a garnish of green olive and orange. But when you drink it, you feel anything but simple. The bubbly wine, accented with the mysterious honeysuckle sweetness of Aperol, is like drinking in Paul Newman in his early films.

That first night, Kim, our German friends, and I drank Aperol spritz tucked against an outdoor bar, waiting for a dinner table. The cool air blew and our conversation wandered without stopping. In the following days, we drank spritz looking over the ocean and noshing on potato chips, as the Venetians do. We drank spritz at café bars, weary from sightseeing. We sipped spritz in between movies and next to the red carpet.

Spritz became as much a part of our vacation as gelato and the watery Venetian canals. The lighthearted drinks were a taste of summer and Italian whimsy. It’s been nearly a year since we returned from Venice, but as the days in Denver grow long and warm like they were in Italy, it’s time to uncork a bottle of white and call Kim so we can laugh over another meal, see a good movie, and drink Aperol spritz.

Aperol Spritz
Makes one

An Aperol spritz is the perfect ally on a hot summer day. With its cool, sweetness and bubbly texture, it goes down easy and mellows the afternoon. This cocktail is uncomplicated so don’t be fussy about making it. Buy whatever dry white wine and green olives you want. They will all make a delightful version of this refreshing cocktail.

1 green olive (unpitted is fine)
1 bamboo skewer, trimmed if necessary
ice
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup sparkling water
2 tablespoons Aperol
½ orange slice

Skewer green olive with bamboo stick and set aside.

Fill an old fashioned glass or large wine glass with 4 to 5 ice cubes. Add white wine, sparkling water, and Aperol. Stir. Garnish with skewered olive and orange slice.

For printable recipe, click here.

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