So my friend came over and wanted a cocktail, and I was on the phone, so he made do with what was on hand. He took some of my ultra-premium vodka, opened a 2-liter of Sprite, and made himself whatever that is called.
This guy likes highballs. At home, he drinks Crown and Coke, or Captain Morgan’s and Coke, or vodka and cranberry juice. So he made his cocktail, drank it, and then went home.
But now I had an open 2-liter of Sprite. No one in my family drinks Sprite. We had it left over from a party. So what do we do with an open 2-liter of Sprite? We make cocktails, of course. Time to update the highball.
Enter the Green Sprite Cocktail. To make one, build over ice in a large glass:
- 1 1/2 oz 1998 Plantation Rum from Grenada
- 1/2 oz green Chartreuse
- 4 oz Sprite
Garnish with a mint sprig.
Chartreuse and Sprite go surprisingly well together. You get some of the medicinal herbs from the Chartreuse, but the Sprite’s lemony sweetness cuts all of it. Next time, you want a highball with Sprite, try the Green Sprite.
I like this type of cocktails, I know they are super basic, but fun to drink and easy to make 😉
Yeah, sometimes basic can be a good thing!
Chad, I was in Venice in April, and at the end of the day the bars are all serving the same drink–a spritz. And they only serve it for about an hour. It is shockingly refreshing and perfect timing, especially on a warm to hot day to enjoy in the shade. Give it a try.
This is Phil, by the way. It has bitters in it, so I’m sure you’ll like it.
So I figured you were talking about a Spritz like the Aperol or Campari Spritz, but they use another liqueur in Venice called Select. I have never heard of it before. According to the New York Times, “Select, a bright red liqueur with notes of orange, whose label boasts that it was ‘born in Venice in 1920,’ is also a popular ingredient in spritzes here, but is little known outside Veneto.”
It’s an easy-to-make drink, by the way. Just put a shot of Aperol, Campari, Cynar, or other amaro, top with sparkling wine, and add a bit of sparkling water. Garnish with an orange slice, and it’s a Spritz! Or I have heard some people put an olive, but I have never tried that. What did they do for garnish in Venice?