1 of 2
Thyme to Shine at Harry’s at Hofheimer (Photo by Mike Guyer Photography)
2 of 2
(From left) Hugo, Aperol, limoncello and pomegranate spritzes at Casa Italiana (Photo courtesy Casa Italiana)
1. Italian Spritz
$12.50 at Casa Italiana
The Venetian “it drink,” bittersweet Aperol swims with prosecco in iced goblets alongside salty bites at bars across the sinking city. In the West End, orange-scented amaro nudges the effervescent wine splashed with club soda into something transportive. On Thursdays, Casa Italiana’s spritz is $9.
2. Alpine Spritz
$13 at Morty’s Market & Deli
Hailing from the mountainous Lombardy region of Italy, Pasubio vino amaro follows a trail of wild blueberry, pine and smoke. Morty’s spikes the amaro into a spritzy cooler hitched with grapefruit soda and botanicals, hitting sweet, tangy and sour peaks in this Alpine-inspired refresher. Stay tuned for their spritz garden to debut this fall.
3. Hugo Spritz
$13 at Stella’s Grocery Westhampton
Sidewalk cafes are the casual tastemakers for surviving summer in the city, allowing folks to travel via cooling cocktails. St-Germain, a springy elderflower liqueur, feels exotic when muddled with Southern bar staples like lime wedges and freshly picked mint. Head inside to the bar to order, then enjoy this floral escape in stemware.
4. Sorbet Spritz
$17 at Lost Letter
Lost Letter’s Cailin Sisk has been featuring rotating spritzes in her bar program, all prepared with housemade sorbets. In August, this means a play on the heat-slaking Pimm’s Cup punch. Delicate cucumber sorbet floated with Pimm’s No. 1, ginger beer, lemon and prosecco provides a verdant, herbal kick on humid nights.
5. Thyme to Shine
$7 at Harry’s at Hofheimer
Nonalcoholic refreshments should be interesting, nuanced and wet your whistle for another sip or bite, just like their boozy cousins. This teetotaling option checks all those boxes; it is stacked with a blackberry-thyme shrub, stirred with housemade almond orgeat, and finished with a splash of club soda and a lemon squeeze. If you like, spike with gin ($6 extra).
