Cynar Spritz: The Bittersweet Italian Spritz, Done Right

A Cynar spritz is the bittersweet, slightly savory cousin of the Aperol spritz. You build it the same way, prosecco and a bitter Italian liqueur and a splash of soda over ice, but you trade the orange-candy sweetness of Aperol for Cynar, an amaro made from artichoke and a dozen other botanicals. The result is drier, deeper, and a lot more grown up.

Here is the fast recipe, then the ratio most versions get wrong, how it stacks up against an Aperol or Campari spritz, and a lower-proof build for when you want the flavor without the buzz.

The quick recipe

The classic build uses the same 3-2-1 you would use for any spritz.

3 parts chilled prosecco
2 parts Cynar
1 part club soda
Plenty of ice, plus an orange slice

In ounces, that is 3 oz prosecco, 2 oz Cynar, 1 oz soda. Build it right in the glass. No shaker, no fuss.

How to make a Cynar spritz, step by step

Fill a large wine glass to the top with ice. More ice keeps the drink colder and slows the melt, which matters a lot in a low-proof cocktail.
Pour 2 oz Cynar over the ice.
Add 3 oz chilled prosecco. Pour down the side of the glass to keep the bubbles alive.
Top with 1 oz club soda.
Give it one gentle stir. Garnish with an orange slice, or a green olive if you want to push it savory.

The olive is not a gimmick. Cynar has a vegetal, almost briny edge, and an olive pulls it toward the savory the way it does in a dirty martini. Try it once before you write it off.

What is Cynar, and what does it taste like?

Cynar (say it "chee-NAR") is an Italian amaro first produced in 1952. It is built from 13 herbs and plants, and the one on the label is the artichoke. It runs about 16.5 percent alcohol, which is low for an amaro, and that is part of why it spritzes so well. You can read the full background on Cynar if you want the history.

Here is the part that trips people up. Despite the artichoke, it does not taste like artichoke. It tastes bitter and herbal up front, with a caramel sweetness underneath and a clean, slightly vegetal finish. On its own it is syrupy and intense. Stretch it out with prosecco and soda and that bitterness turns into something bright and refreshing. If you have only ever had sweet spritzes, this is the one that converts bitter skeptics.

The ratio most recipes get wrong

Most recipes hand you one set of numbers and move on. The truth is the right ratio depends on your prosecco and your own tolerance for bitter.

Start at 3-2-1. If it lands too bitter for you, do not add sugar. Pull the Cynar back to 1.5 oz and let the prosecco carry more of the glass. If it reads too sweet, your prosecco is probably on the sweeter side, so push the Cynar up toward 2.5 oz and add a little extra soda to dry it out. The drink should finish clean, not sticky.

One more lever. A drier sparkling wine, like a brut or a cava, makes the whole thing crisper. An extra-dry prosecco, which is confusingly sweeter than brut, makes it rounder. Pick your sparkling wine on purpose, not by whatever is open.

Cynar spritz vs Aperol spritz vs Campari spritz

All three are aperitivo spritzes. The liqueur is the whole difference.

An Aperol spritz is the gateway. Low bitterness, lots of orange, easy to love. A Campari spritz is the other end, sharply bitter and bracing, the one that separates the bitter crowd from everyone else. The Cynar spritz sits in the middle and a little to the side. It is more bitter than Aperol but rounder and earthier than Campari, with that savory artichoke depth neither of the others has.

If you are deciding which bottle to chase first, we broke down the two big names in our guide to Aperol vs Campari. And if you want to keep working through the spritz family, we have full builds for the Hugo spritz, the St-Germain spritz, and the limoncello spritz.

Variations worth trying

Grapefruit Cynar spritz. Swap the orange slice for a grapefruit wedge and add a half ounce of fresh grapefruit juice. The citrus tartness plays off the bitterness and makes it even more refreshing.
The Cynar 70. Heavier on the soda, lighter on the prosecco, for a longer and lower-proof afternoon drink. Think 2 oz Cynar, 2 oz prosecco, 2 oz soda.
Negroni-leaning. Add a half ounce of gin and cut the soda. Now you are closer to a sbagliato with backbone, and it drinks like dinner is about to be served.

A lower-proof Cynar spritz, and a zero-proof stand-in

This is where most spritz roundups go quiet. Plenty of people want the bittersweet aperitivo ritual without three glasses of wine on a Tuesday. You have two good moves.

For lower proof, build the Cynar 70 above and lean on the soda. Cynar is already light at 16.5 percent, and a soda-forward build keeps the whole drink gentle.

For zero proof, the trick is replacing the bittersweet backbone, not the alcohol. A good botanical tonic syrup gives you the bitter, citrusy, herbal spine that makes a spritz taste like a spritz. Pour an ounce of Jo's Original Tonic, top with soda water and a splash of non-alcoholic sparkling wine, add an orange slice, and you have an aperitivo-style drink with real structure instead of sugar water. For the full approach, see our guide to the non-alcoholic aperitif.

What to serve with a Cynar spritz

This is an aperitivo drink, which means its job is to wake up your appetite before dinner. Serve it with salty, fatty, simple things. Marcona almonds, good olives, potato chips, a wedge of hard cheese, prosciutto, taralli. The bitterness cuts the salt and fat, and the salt softens the bitterness. They need each other.

Putting out a spread for friends? Our build-your-own bar setup works just as well for an aperitivo hour as it does for brunch.

FAQ

What is a Cynar spritz?

A Cynar spritz is an Italian aperitivo cocktail made with Cynar, prosecco, and club soda over ice, usually in a 3-2-1 ratio of prosecco to Cynar to soda. It is the bittersweet, slightly savory alternative to an Aperol spritz, built around an artichoke-based amaro instead of a sweeter orange liqueur.

What does a Cynar spritz taste like?

Bittersweet, herbal, and lightly savory, with a caramel note underneath and a clean finish. It is more bitter than an Aperol spritz but rounder and earthier than a Campari spritz. It does not taste like artichoke, despite the label.

Is a Cynar spritz very bitter?

It is moderately bitter, sitting between Aperol on the gentle end and Campari on the bracing end. The prosecco and soda soften the bitterness considerably. If it is too much, pull the Cynar back to 1.5 ounces and let the sparkling wine carry more of the glass.

Can you make a Cynar spritz non-alcoholic?

Yes. Replace the bittersweet backbone rather than just the alcohol. Use a botanical tonic syrup for the bitter, herbal, citrus structure, top with soda water and a non-alcoholic sparkling wine, and garnish with orange. That gives you a spritz with real depth instead of plain sweetness.

What can I substitute for Cynar?

Another low-proof amaro works best. Try a bittersweet aperitivo liqueur if you want something close, though it will be sweeter and more orange-forward. For a true match, there is no perfect swap, because the artichoke and herbal character of Cynar is its own thing.

Pour one and find out

The Cynar spritz is the drink for the host who is tired of sweet. It takes two minutes, it costs almost nothing per glass, and it makes you look like you know something. Start with the 3-2-1, dial it to your taste, and put a bowl of salty snacks next to it.

For more bittersweet and botanical drinks, browse our full guide to tonic, spritz, and botanical drinks, or start with a bottle of Jo's Tonic and build your own from there.