Aperol Spritz Granita

Made with Prosecco, Aperol, and club soda, the Aperol spritz is a zesty and refreshing Italian aperitivo, with bittersweet notes of orange peel and vanilla. The cocktail’s relatively low alcohol content and bright citrus notes make it a fun beverage for a hot day, and it’s one I turn to each summer. The only thing more invigorating than an Aperol spritz? A frozen one. 

Much like frosé—the blended frozen drink of rosé, strawberries, and lemon juice that took the world by storm in 2016—this Aperol spritz granita is bracingly cold and perfect for a heatwave happy hour. Granita, a semi-frozen dessert with a fluffy texture similar to that of shaved ice, hails from the Italian island of Sicily, where it’s traditionally made with fruit juice, coffee, or almond milk. Almost any liquid, though, can be turned into granita—even your favorite cocktail. Unlike many other frozen treats, there’s no special equipment needed to prepare granita: no ice cream maker, snow cone machine, or even a blender. All you need is a fork, a shallow freezer-safe dish, and a bit of patience.

5 Tips for Making a Refreshing Granita

Season the granita base with fresh citrus juice and sugar. Since cold temperatures dull flavor, a classic Aperol spritz needs slight tweaking to ensure it tastes just as bold and bright once frozen. In addition to the classic ingredients required for the drink—Aperol, Prosecco, and sparkling water— this granita also includes fresh orange and lemon juice for balancing acidity, as well as a spoonful of sugar to  enhance the Aperol’s zesty notes. The result is neon orange ice crystals that taste much like the original cocktail. 

Mix well. Most granita recipes involve heating the liquid base on the stove to dissolve any added sugar. Since this recipe requires only a small amount of sugar, I’ve opted to skip this step entirely. The three tablespoons of sugar will dissolve without the need for heat—just take care to stir the mixture well, whisking for about a minute, until you can no longer see any granulated sugar in the liquid. (If a touch of undissolved sugar remains, it won’t be discernable in the final product.)

Use a shallow pan. A 9- by 13-inch baking dish may seem too big for the job, but its wide surface area helps the granita freeze quickly. Plus, a thin layer of liquid is much easier to thoroughly scrape than a large chunk of ice. Make sure your pan is freezer-safe; I recommend using a freezer-safe glass dish, such as Pyrex, but you could use ceramic or aluminum. Avoid nonstick pans, as scraping may damage the coating.

Use a fork—and scrape frequently. Every half hour or so, drag a fork through the granita to break up any large ice crystals. Unlike a spoon or knife, a fork’s tines help it easily carve through the semi-frozen mixture, which is the most effective way to break the ice into small flakes. This creates the granita’s signature texture and prevents the mixture from becoming a giant ice cube. Luckily, the alcohol in this recipe prevents the mixture from freezing completely; even if you wait a bit longer than 30 minutes to scrape the granita, you shouldn’t have any trouble achieving a light, flaky consistency.    

No Prosecco, no problem. To mimic the flavor of a classic Aperol spritz, I call for Prosecco in my recipe below. But because Prosecco loses its effervescence once frozen, you don’t have to splurge on a bottle of bubbly to make this granita! Most semi-sweet or dry white wines will make a suitable replacement—just avoid those that are overly sweet, very dry, or oaky. An Italian pinot grigio would be a nice choice, as would riesling or sauvignon blanc.

How to Serve an Aperol Spritz Granita

Is this a dessert or an aperitivo? That's up to you! Serve this frozen spritz in coupe glasses garnished with fresh mint leaves and an orange slice, enjoy it as is, or top it off with sparkling water for a slushy, bubbly beverage.