The Cynar spritz recipe
for your table
Fill a large wine glass to the top with ice cubes, because the fuller the glass, the more slowly the ice melts.
Pour the Cynar over the ice and let it sink down for a moment.
Slowly pour in the prosecco over the rounded side of a bar spoon, so the bubbles stay in the glass.
Finish with a splash of sparkling water and add half an orange slice or an olive on a cocktail pick.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you’d like to add something, we’ll review it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the Cynar spritz recipe to your own email so you’ll have it to hand when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code for orders from €50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Cynar is an Italian bitter liqueur named after the artichoke, although that is just one of the herbs: there are thirteen listed on the label. The drink contains around sixteen and a half percent alcohol, roughly the same as Aperol, but it tastes very different. While Aperol is mainly sweet and orange-like, Cynar has a dark, almost earthy bitterness with a salty undertone. Italians drink it neat, over ice, with cola or with tonic, and that bitterness comes through best in a spritz because the bubbles lift it without making it sweeter.
The right glass
A spritz mainly needs space: plenty of ice, bubbles and a generous orange slice need to fit without the glass overflowing. A large wine glass or a spacious balloon shape of around sixty centilitres is therefore the right size. The more fully you fill the glass with ice, the more slowly it melts and the longer the drink retains its flavor. Looking for an even larger bowl? Take a look at our large wine glasses.
Luigi Bormioli Mixology Cocktail Glass Spritz 57 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Essential Wine Glass 65 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 87,90.
The right tools
For a Cynar spritz, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon to pour in the prosecco, a jigger for precise measurements and an ice cube mold for cubes that do not melt immediately. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 84,80.
What do you make a Cynar spritz with?
For a Cynar spritz, you need Cynar and prosecco. Cynar does not yet have its own page with us; Campari and Aperol are in the same category. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Replace the prosecco with tonic and you get a Cynar tonic: even drier, even more bitter and without the sweet side of sparkling wine. A splash of cola instead of sparkling water is a common order in Italy and makes the whole thing rounder. If you want to tone down the bitterness a little, use one part Aperol alongside the Cynar instead of using Cynar alone. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Chill the glass and the bottle of prosecco in advance, because cold bubbles stay in the glass longer. Choose deliberately between the two garnishes: half an orange slice makes it fruitier, while a green olive on a pick draws out Cynar's salty side. The latter is not strange, because that salty note is already present in the drink.
Good to know
What makes Cynar different from Aperol
Both are Italian bitters at around sixteen and a half percent ABV, but that is where the similarity ends. Aperol is bright orange and leans heavily on orange and a generous dose of sugar, so the bitterness mainly comes through in the aftertaste. Cynar is dark brown and much drier: the artichoke and other herbs give it an earthy, herbal bitterness with a salty undertone that appears immediately on the tongue. In a spritz, that means a drink that tastes fuller and more robust than fresh and sweet.
The three-to-two-to-one ratio
Every spritz follows the same rule of thumb: three parts bubbles, two parts bitter and one part sparkling water. With 9 cl of prosecco, that gives you 6 cl of bitter and 3 cl of sparkling water. We use 5 cl of Cynar, half a measure less, because this bitter is drier and more herbal than the orange varieties and otherwise quickly takes over the whole glass. If you find it too mild, pour the full 6 cl; the ratio otherwise stays the same.
Why you pour the prosecco over the bar spoon
Bubbles disappear as soon as you let them hit something hard. If you hold the rounded side of a bar spoon just above the ice and pour the prosecco along it, the stream breaks up and the wine gently slides into the glass. This preserves much more carbonation, and mixes it immediately without stirring. Stirring with a spoon in the glass itself does exactly the opposite and knocks the bubbles out.
Cynar with tonic as an even drier variation
Leave out the prosecco and top up with tonic, and you get a long drink that is considerably drier. The quinine in the tonic combines with Cynar's herbal bitterness, making the whole thing sharper and leaving almost no sweetness. Choose a neutral tonic without extra botanicals, otherwise the flavors will compete with one another. A strip of orange peel keeps it drinkable for those who find the bitterness intense.
The olive as a garnish is no gimmick
In Cynar, alongside the bitterness, there is a distinct salty, savory note. A green olive on a cocktail pick enhances exactly that side and steers the drink toward an aperitif you drink with snacks rather than something sweet. Half an orange slice does the opposite and brings the fruit to the fore. Both work; the choice mainly says something about what you are serving alongside it.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Cynar Spritz?
A Cynar Spritz consists of 5 cl Cynar, 9 cl prosecco, and a splash of approximately 3 cl sparkling water, poured over a glass full of ice. The garnish is half an orange slice or a green olive.
What exactly is Cynar?
Cynar is an Italian bitter liqueur made from artichoke and twelve other herbs, with an alcohol content of around sixteen and a half percent. The flavor is herbal and slightly salty, with an earthy bitterness that is clearly less sweet than that of Aperol.
What ratio do you use for a Spritz?
Three parts bubbles, two parts bitter, and one part sparkling water. With 9 cl of prosecco, that means 6 cl of bitter and 3 cl of sparkling water. For Cynar, we use 5 cl because this bitter is drier and more herbal than the orange varieties.
Which glass do you serve a Cynar Spritz in?
In a large wine glass or a spacious balloon glass of around sixty centiliters, so there is plenty of room for ice, bubbles, and garnish. For suitable models, take a look at our spritz glasses.
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Glasses in catering quality, supplied per set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →