Turn a simple bottle of white wine into a bubbly, fruity spritzer that will quench your thirst during the hot months and warm your belly during the cold ones. Make a pitcher of this light & refreshing cocktail for parties (it goes down easy, has a lower alcohol content & is budget-friendly when you're serving a crowd), or fix it by the glass for a relaxing night at home.
About a month ago I flew to Colorado to attend my friend Laura's wedding in Breckenridge. The night before the big day, my little sister and I hosted an impromptu gathering to celebrate the bride. It was basically an intimate, low key version of a bachelorette party with friends, food, drinks & games but no penis-themed stuff. :P
Since the next day was going to be busy & long, I wanted to keep the drinks light (but still tasty). No homemade margaritas or Moscow Mules (mmmm). And certainly no straight-up shots! I thought about white wine sangria or apple cider sangria but didn't have enough time to soak all the fruits in the wine ahead of time. Plus, I wanted to keep it SUPER simple.
So, I came up with this citrus white wine spritzer recipe. I tested it out on the gals and everyone loved it! So much so that I went back to the liquor store for more wine the next afternoon and before long almost everyone was sipping on it again to take the edge off as we got ready for the event.
White wine spritzers are now officially my favorite easy cocktail of choice. No fancy or expensive ingredients. Five-minute prep. Super customizable. Win win win! And they're just so dang refreshing, especially during the summer months. Most of all, I love that I can drink more wine and not overdo it (my tolerance is much lower now that I'm not in college and/or working at a bar).
And if I need a simple snack to go with them, I can bake a batch of rosemary spiced nuts in about 30 minutes or fix them a day ahead (they taste even better after the flavors soak in).
They're seriously perfect for bachelorette parties or gatherings where you can't afford to get smashed and be completely hungover the next day. If you know a bride-to-be or bridesmaid who's looking for some drink recipes, do them a big favor and share this recipe (and any white wine spritzer recipe) with them!
Okay...before I jump into the recipe, let me answer a few questions about white wine spritzers that you might have. If you need it right away, scroll on down for the printable recipe!
White Wine Spritzer F.A.Q.
What is a Wine Spritzer?
Traditionally, wine spritzers have been a mixture of wine + carbonated water (specifically club soda), which creates a bubbly wine cocktail. Club soda is a staple in all bars & restaurants, so I assume that's why it's been the #1 choice for several generations. However, in the past decade or so, flavored sparkling waters have become SUPER popular so we now have tons of options beyond club soda.What does a White Wine Spritzer Taste Like?
A fizzy, slightly drier version of plain wine. It's very refreshing! Because it adds a bit of dryness along with the carbonation, if I'm drinking a dry wine I like to add something sweet to balance it out. If my wine is sweet already, then I might add extra sparkling water.
Why Drink White Wine Spritzers Instead of a Regular Glass of Wine?
Wine has a higher alcohol content than beer (13-13.5% for most wines versus 4.5-9% for beer) and is poured in smaller portions. A wine spritzer essentially stretches your serving further (via dilution) so you're drinking more liquid while consuming less alcohol.So, if you're at a party where you'll be hanging out for several hours & drinking throughout (ex: bachelorette, bachelor, wedding day, birthday, family reunion, cook-out, etc.), wine spritzers are a smart choice for enjoying multiple drinks without going overboard.
What's The Best White Wine To Use for Spritzers?
My two favorites are Vinho Verde (Portuguese sparkling wine) and Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) because they're dry, bubbly & have a lower alcohol content (9%). They're both easy to find and Vinho Verde, in particular, is inexpensive. A bottle is usually around $6-10 bucks and I've found the quality consistent between brands.Beyond that, I like to use Sauvignon Blanc (I'm really digging New Zealand wines from the Marlborough region right now), Pinot Grigio, Rosé (usually still & dry), Chardonnay (I prefer unoaked), or Riesling (I like dry or medium-sweet).
Note: I usually pick a wine AFTER deciding what mix-ins I'll add to the spritzers. If I'm adding something sweet (like fruit juice), I go for a dry wine (still or sparkling). If I'm not adding anything sweet (other than fresh fruit maybe), I'll choose a semi-sweet wine like Riesling (make sure to check the label so you don't grab a dry one by accident).
If you like really sweet wines (you might want to check the dessert wines section), look for a Moscato, sweet Rosé, sweet Riesling, or white zinfandel.
What Type of Bubbly Beverage Should I Use For White Wine Spritzers?
My favorite bubbly mix-in for white wine spritzers are these fruit juice sparkling waters. They're NOT the same thing as the zero-calorie flavored sparkling waters (La Croix, Zevia, Waterloo, etc.) which just have carbonated water + "natural flavors".These fruit juice sparkling waters contain plain sparkling water mixed with a small amount of real fruit juice (blood orange is my favorite) and cane sugar. So they have just enough sweetness to balance out a dry wine without overpowering it. You can grab a six-pack from almost any grocery store or get them by the can at most gas stations.
More Options: Tonic water (these are pretty sweet & usually contain high fructose corn syrup), lemon-lime soda sweetened with cane sugar, ginger ale or ginger beer (the latter is still carbonated & non-alcoholic but has a stronger ginger flavor), or fruit-flavored kombucha or kombucha soda (this adds healthy probiotics).
Can I Make or Prep White Wine Spritzers For a Crowd?
Totally! It only takes 5-ish minutes to make a pitcher of wine spritzers with two bottles of wine (you can double, triple, or quadruple that for a big gathering). Because it's such a quick and easy recipe, you could save yourself a few minutes by slicing all the citrus fruits ahead of time and storing that + all the wine, sparkling fruit juice water & sparkling water in the fridge until you're ready to go.Then all you have to do is pour everything into a pitcher and grab the glasses + garnishes. This recipe doesn't use any ice so it's important all the components are very cold. But, if you don't have time to chill everything first, serve the spritzers over plenty of ice!
Yield: 6-8
Citrus White Wine Spritzers
prep time: 5 Mcook time: total time: 5 M
Turn a simple bottle of white wine into a bubbly, fruity spritzer that will quench your thirst during the hot months and warm your belly during the cold ones. Make a pitcher of this light & refreshing cocktail for parties (it goes down easy, has a lower alcohol content & is budget friendly when you're serving a crowd) or fix it by the glass for a relaxing night at home.
ingredients:
- 2 bottles of dry white wine (like Vinho Verde, Prosecco, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
- 2 (11.5 oz) cans of sparkling water with real fruit juice (I used a mixture of this blood orange drink and this navel orange drink)
- 1 orange
- 1 lime
- 1 lemon
- Sparkling water (like San Pellegrino, Topo Chico or La Croix), for serving
instructions:
How to cook Citrus White Wine Spritzers
- Place the wine and sparkling waters in the refrigerator several hours ahead of time so they're all well-chilled. You want this drink cold! (See the notes below for tips on making this last-minute.)
- When you're ready to serve, prepare the citrus fruits by slicing off the tips of both ends, cutting the fruit in half and then cutting the halves into thin slices.
- Pour the wine and sparkling water with fresh fruit juice into a big pitcher. Arrange the fruit slices around the rim of the pitcher (see pic in post for reference) and set out glasses + a bottle of the plain sparkling water.
- Pour about 1/2-3/4 cup of the wine mixture in each glass and top with a few splashes of sparkling water to add some fizziness. Garnish with a slice or two of fresh citrus fruit and drink while still cold.
NOTES:
If you're making this last minute, you can quickly chill the beverages by sticking them in a container filled with cold water & ice. This should take 15-20 minutes. If need be, you can serve the individual spritzers over ice but this will water the drink down if it's warm outside.
If you can't find sparkling water that's already mixed with a bit of real fruit juice and cane sugar (this balances out the dryness of the wine + sparkling water), substitute fresh or bottled orange juice instead. However, start by adding 1/2 cup of orange juice at a time to the wine, taste the mixture, and add more juice until it's sweet enough to your liking. Since you'll be using straight juice, you'll likely want to use extra sparkling water at the end when you're serving the spritzers to give the drinks more carbonation.
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