The non-alcoholic Aperol spritz

The classic Aperol spritz is three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda water, served in a big wine glass full of ice with a slice of orange. It comes from the Veneto in northeastern Italy, where the spritz is an everyday aperitivo.

Each part has a job:

• Aperol brings bitter orange, rhubarb and a little herbal bitterness. It's low in alcohol for a spirit and quite sweet, which is why the drink is so easy to like.
• Prosecco brings dry fizz, acidity and a light fruitiness. It's also where most of the drink's alcohol comes from.
• Soda lightens the drink and keeps it refreshing.

A non-alcoholic Aperol spritz needs:

• A bittersweet orange aperitivo. Not a Campari-style red bitter, which is too bitter for this drink, and not a straight orange syrup, which has no bite.
• A dry sparkling wine. A brut-style non-alcoholic wine replaces the dryness of prosecco. A sweet one makes the drink cloying.
• Enough soda and ice. Fill the glass with ice and don't skimp on the soda. If it tastes sweet, add more.
• A proper orange slice. A half-wheel of fresh orange adds aroma and a little acidity that helps the drink taste less sugary.

There's no alcohol-free Aperol in our catalogue, so the answer is a dupe. The best-known one is Lyre's Italian Spritz, which is built as a direct Aperol alternative: bright orange, rhubarb and a gentle bitterness. It has the right color, the right sweetness and the rhubarb note that makes Aperol recognizable.

The alternatives:

• Fluere Bitter is a distilled red bitter with long quinine bitterness, orange zest, juniper and lime peel. The brand suggests using it like Aperol or Campari. It's more bitter than Aperol, so use it if you find Lyre's too soft.
• Ritual Aperitif Alternative is designed to replace bright red bitters one-for-one. It has orange blossom, rhubarb, charred grapefruit and a spiced finish. It sits between Aperol and Campari.
• Martini Vibrante is bergamot, bitter orange and chamomile. It's the easiest to find in stores, and it's lighter and more citrusy than Aperol.
• Wilfred's Bittersweet Aperitif is bitter orange, rosemary and clove. It makes a more herbal orange spritz.
• Crodino is Italy's own non-alcoholic bitter, sold in little 100 ml bottles. Its maker, Campari Group, also owns Aperol. It's orange, cardamom and clove, lightly fizzy and bittersweet, and it's the cheapest way into an orange spritz.

A canned non-alcoholic Aperol spritz is the easiest option, and there are several good ones.

• Lyre's Amalfi Spritz is Lyre's Italian Spritz already topped with bubbles. It's bittersweet orange and rhubarb, and the most direct match for an Aperol spritz in a can. Serve it over ice with an orange slice.
• Ghia Blood Orange is Ghia's bitter apéritif with blood orange and soda. It's the closest of Ghia's cans to a classic orange spritz, bright and juicy, but less sweet and more bitter than Aperol.
• De Soi Spritz Italiano is an Aperol-style spritz in a can: sweet and bitter citrus, white grape and gentian, with L-theanine, lion's mane and reishi. Serve it over ice with an orange slice.
• Curious Elixirs No. 4 is a blood orange Sicilian spritz made with non-alcoholic prosecco and a blend of adaptogens (American ginseng, tulsi and turmeric). It's bittersweet and lightly fizzy.

Any can tastes better poured over a full glass of ice with a fresh orange slice. For a more wine-like drink, top the glass with an ounce or two of a dry non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

The Aperol slot

Start with Lyre's Italian Spritz. If it tastes too sweet, keep it as the base and add a quarter to a half ounce of Ghia Le Apéritif, which adds bitterness without much sugar. If you want something easier to find, use Martini Vibrante. If you want more bitterness, use Fluere Bitter or Ritual Aperitif Alternative.

Avoid the Campari-style bottles, like Lyre's Italian Orange, for this drink. They make a very good spritz, but it's a Campari spritz, not an Aperol one. It's redder and more bitter.

The prosecco slot

Prosecco is dry, light and fruity. These are the best non-alcoholic stand-ins:

• Mionetto Alcohol-Removed Sparkling is made from Glera, the prosecco grape, so it has the right peach and apple character. It's a little sweet, so use it with plenty of soda.
• Surely Sparkling Brut is dry with full acidity, with apple, pear, lemon and honey. It's our pick when the aperitivo is on the sweet side.
• Gruvi Dry Secco is prosecco-style fizz in 275 ml bottles, enough for about three spritzes. Semi-dry, floral and a little tart.
• Fre Sparkling Brut is cheap and widely stocked, with green apple and pear. It's fine for a spritz, but on the sweet side.

Skip very sweet sparklers like Freixenet 0.0 Sparkling White, which has a noticeably sweet finish. It's good for mimosas, less so for a spritz.

The soda

Use plain soda water or seltzer, as cold and as fresh as possible. Don't use tonic in an Aperol spritz. It adds sugar and a quinine bitterness that clashes with the orange.

The simplest rule: pair a sweeter aperitivo with a drier wine, and a more bitter aperitivo with a fruitier one. The combinations we'd start with:

• Lyre's Italian Spritz + Surely Sparkling Brut. The dry brut balances the sweetness of the Lyre's. This is the closest to a bar-made Aperol spritz.
• Fluere Bitter + Mionetto. Fluere's long quinine bitterness can take a sweeter, fruitier wine. The Glera grape gives the drink that prosecco character.
• Ritual Aperitif Alternative + Gruvi Dry Secco. The charred grapefruit in the Ritual works well with Gruvi's floral, slightly tart fizz.
• Martini Vibrante + Mionetto. Both are easy to find, and Vibrante's citrus and chamomile suit a softer wine. Add a little more soda than usual.
• Crodino + Mionetto. The cheap-and-cheerful version. Crodino is already fizzy, so go light on the soda.

Small details make a real difference to a non-alcoholic Aperol spritz.

Use a big glass and fill it with ice. A large wine glass is traditional. Fill it to the top with ice before you pour anything, so the drink stays cold and doesn't turn watery.

Pour in order. Sparkling wine first, then the aperitivo, then soda. The heavier aperitivo sinks and mixes itself, so you only need one gentle stir from the bottom. Stirring hard knocks the bubbles out.

Chill everything. Keep the aperitivo in the fridge along with the sparkling wine and soda. Warm ingredients melt the ice faster.

Open the bottle just before you pour. Non-alcoholic sparkling wine can lose its fizz faster than you'd expect once it's opened. Single-serve bottles like Gruvi avoid the problem.

This is the classic 3-2-1 ratio, with the prosecco grape in the glass and the most Aperol-like bottle we know:

If you find it sweet, try the drier version below. It uses a brut sparkling wine, a splash of Ghia for extra bitterness and more soda.

For the quickest, cheapest option, a Crodino spritz uses a whole 100 ml bottle and non-alcoholic prosecco:

• Campari spritz. Swap the orange aperitivo for a red bitter like Lyre's Italian Orange and add a little more soda. Our spritz guide covers the whole family, from sweet to properly bitter.
• Hugo spritz. Elderflower, mint and lime instead of the bitter orange. It's the lighter, floral option.
• Sbagliato. Bitter and sweet vermouth topped with sparkling wine. More bitter and more grown-up.
• Mimosa. If you like the orange but not the bitterness, sparkling wine and fresh orange juice is the simpler drink.

Plenty of bars can make a non-alcoholic Aperol spritz, especially if they stock Lyre's. If you're looking for a non-alcoholic Aperol spritz near you, these alcohol-free bars and shops are a good place to start: