There's a reason the spritz has become the drink of summer. It's bright, bittersweet and bubbly, it looks beautiful in the glass, and it turns a regular afternoon into aperitivo hour.

The good news? You don't need alcohol to make a great one. This non-alcoholic spritz recipe takes two minutes, three ingredients and a lot of ice. Here's exactly how to do it.

What makes a great spritz?

A proper spritz is all about balance. You want three things in the glass:

• Bittersweet: a gentle bitterness that wakes up your appetite, balanced by a little sweetness
• Citrus: a bright, zesty lift
• Bubbles: plenty of them, fine and lively

Our Non-Alc Italian Aperitif brings the bittersweet and the citrus, with blood orange, lemon myrtle, rhubarb and grapefruit. Our De-Alc Lilly Pilly Sparkling brings the bubbles. A splash of soda keeps it light.

The non-alcoholic spritz recipe

You'll need:

• 40ml POLKA Non-Alc Italian Aperitif
• 100ml POLKA De-Alc Lilly Pilly Sparkling, well chilled
• A splash of soda water
• Plenty of ice
• A slice of dried orange (or fresh orange) to garnish

Method:

1. Chill everything. Put the sparkling and soda in the fridge for a few hours. Cold bubbles last longer.
2. Fill a big wine glass with ice. Right to the top. More ice means it melts slower and stays colder.
3. Pour the aperitif. Give the bottle a gentle shake first, as natural citrus oils can settle on top. Pour 40ml over the ice.
4. Top with sparkling. Pour 100ml of De-Alc Lilly Pilly Sparkling slowly down the side of the glass to keep the bubbles.
5. Add a splash of soda. Just a dash, for lift.
6. Garnish and give it one gentle stir. Add your orange slice and serve straight away.

Spritz mistakes to avoid

• Not enough ice. A half-full glass of ice melts fast and waters the drink down.
• Warm bubbles. Room-temperature sparkling goes flat in the glass. Chill it properly.
• Too much soda. It should be a splash, not a top-up. Too much and you'll lose the flavour.
• The wrong glass. A big, round wine glass gives the bubbles and ice room to work.
• Over-stirring. One gentle stir is plenty. Any more and the bubbles disappear.

Three easy twists

The rosé spritz. Swap the sparkling for our De-Alc Sparkling Rosé for juicy notes of strawberry, raspberry and Davidson Plum.

The lighter spritz. Use 30ml of aperitif and a little more soda for a longer, more refreshing drink on a hot day.

The Christmas spritz. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a few frozen cranberries. Same spritz, festive look.

What to serve with it

A spritz is made for aperitivo hour, the Italian ritual of a pre-dinner drink with something salty on the side. Put out a bowl of green olives, salty crisps, focaccia or a wedge of soft cheese, and you're done.

Get everything in one box

The Italian Spritz Kit has both bottles you need, our Non-Alc Italian Aperitif and De-Alc Lilly Pilly Sparkling, boxed up together at a better price. Just add ice.