The 2-Ingredient Cocktail I’m Drinking All Summer Long (Promise It’s Not Aperol Spritz)

Spritz season, for me, conjures visions of sitting in the sun, practicing the art of the gab, and generally feeling alive. The heady mix of vitamin D, bubbles, and good company makes for a moment worth looking forward to all year. 

While Aperol and Hugo spritzes have become household names, a spritz is really just a mixture of sparkling wine and an aperitif over ice, with good seltzer optional. So if you’re a little tired of Aperol, or the elderflower sweetness of a Hugo spritz doesn’t do it for you, there are as many spritz options out there as there are aperitifs. Made from a base of wine, but with added ingredients (similar to a vermouth), an aperitif is what brings all the flavor to the party. 

That’s good news for spritz-lovers, as new brands like Veso and Le Moné have helped to expand the aperitif offerings at your local wine shop. While before you may have just seen some Aperol or Campari on the shelf, now there’s a rainbow of flavors, and Le Moné, made with Meyer lemons, makes my favorite spritz of the summer. 

I was first introduced to Le Moné a few years ago, when a rep for the brand sent me a bottle to try. While, as a wine and spirits writer, I have a cabinet filled with experimental drinks (anchovy-infused vermouth, anyone?) Le Moné is one of the few aperitifs that I’ve finished and bought a second bottle of. 

The company’s slowly expanded, and now, in addition to buying it online, I can find it at every wine store within a couple blocks’ radius of my apartment. So it’s clear that it’s not just me who likes the stuff — the rest of New York does, too. 

To me, summer tastes like lemons, and Le Moné brings that fresh, lemon flavor to the party. It’s light, tart, and lively, with no bitterness to be found. It’s perfect for the person whose favorite drink growing up was lemonade, but who now prefers drinks with less sugar. Le Moné has only two grams of sugar per ounce compared to Aperol’s 10, and is made with Meyer lemons, Italian bergamot, and Persian limes, which makes it more nuanced than other lemon-flavored drinks on the market. 

You can simply mix Le Moné — 1:1 — with prosecco, or do it up by adding lemon slices, a lemon twist, or even bunches of aromatic herbs like rosemary or basil for another layer of flavor.  

Most recently, I brought it in a chic little wicker basket to a barbecue at a friend’s place. I pulled out the Le Moné bottle, along with lemons, a peeler (to make twists), prosecco, and seltzer, to lots of fanfare. Over the course of the day, I had a few iterations: a spritz with prosecco, and a lower-alcohol version made with just a splash of Le Moné over some seltzer for when the party was winding down. 

Buy: Le Moné Meyer Lemon Aperitif, $23.99 for 750 mL at Total Wine 

What’s your go-to aperitif for making spritzes? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The 2-Ingredient Cocktail I’m Drinking All Summer Long (Promise It’s Not Aperol Spritz)