{"id":96,"date":"2026-01-10T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/aperol-spritz-makeover-5-lower-calorie-italian-cocktails\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T23:59:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T23:59:59","slug":"aperol-spritz-makeover-5-lower-calorie-italian-cocktails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/aperol-spritz-makeover-5-lower-calorie-italian-cocktails\/","title":{"rendered":"Aperol Spritz Makeover: 5 Lower-Calorie Italian Cocktails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The Aperol Spritz has become the unofficial drink of summer.<\/strong> That iconic orange cocktail is refreshing, beautiful, and perfect for warm weather sipping. But at 150-200 calories per glass, it&#8217;s not exactly diet-friendly. Here are five lower-calorie Italian cocktails that deliver the same Mediterranean vibes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"whats-in-an-aperol-spritz\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&#8217;s in an Aperol Spritz?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1620\" src=\"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-0.jpg\" alt=\"Spritz veneziano, an aperitif cocktail with Prosecco or white sparkling wine, bitter, soda, ice and a slice of orange, in a calix on a table, pop graphic style\" class=\"wp-image-170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-0.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-0-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-0-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-0-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-0-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<p>A classic Aperol Spritz contains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>3 oz Prosecco (65 calories)<\/li>\n<li>2 oz Aperol (88 calories)<\/li>\n<li>1 oz soda water (0 calories)<\/li>\n<li>Orange slice garnish<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Total: 153 calories, 11g sugar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The calories come primarily from Aperol, which contains significant sugar. Let&#8217;s find some lighter alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"5-lower-calorie-italian-cocktail-alternatives\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">5 Lower-Calorie Italian Cocktail Alternatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. The Skinny Spritz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1620\" src=\"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-1.jpg\" alt=\"A glass with a drink and a straw in it\" class=\"wp-image-171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-1.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Calories:<\/strong> 95 | <strong>Sugar:<\/strong> 4g<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reduce the Aperol to 1 oz and increase the soda water. You still get that beautiful orange color and bitter-sweet flavor with 40% fewer calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>3 oz Prosecco<\/li>\n<li>1 oz Aperol<\/li>\n<li>3 oz soda water<\/li>\n<li>Orange wheel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Hugo Spritz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Calories:<\/strong> 110 | <strong>Sugar:<\/strong> 5g<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Popular in Northern Italy, the Hugo uses elderflower instead of Aperol. Fresh, floral, and lighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>3 oz Prosecco<\/li>\n<li>1 oz elderflower liqueur (St-Germain)<\/li>\n<li>2 oz soda water<\/li>\n<li>Fresh mint and lime<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Prosecco &amp; Soda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1620\" src=\"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-2.jpg\" alt=\"a glass of liquid\" class=\"wp-image-172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-2.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-2-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-2-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/inline-96-2-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Calories:<\/strong> 65 | <strong>Sugar:<\/strong> 1g<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes the simplest option is best. Half Prosecco, half soda water with a citrus twist gives you bubbles and refreshment with minimal calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Campari &amp; Soda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Calories:<\/strong> 85 | <strong>Sugar:<\/strong> 4g<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skip the Prosecco entirely. Campari over ice with soda water is intensely bitter and refreshing\u2014a true Italian classic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1.5 oz Campari<\/li>\n<li>4 oz soda water<\/li>\n<li>Orange peel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Limoncello Spritz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Calories:<\/strong> 120 | <strong>Sugar:<\/strong> 6g<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Southern Italian alternative that&#8217;s sunshine in a glass. Use limoncello sparingly\u2014it&#8217;s potent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>3 oz Prosecco<\/li>\n<li>1 oz limoncello<\/li>\n<li>2 oz soda water<\/li>\n<li>Lemon wheel and basil<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"pro-tips-for-lighter-spritz-drinking\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pro Tips for Lighter Spritz Drinking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>More soda, less liqueur:<\/strong> Increase the ratio of soda water to cut calories<\/li>\n<li><strong>Choose Brut Prosecco:<\/strong> Sweeter Proseccos add unnecessary sugar<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ice it down:<\/strong> More ice means less liquid per glass<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alternate with water:<\/strong> Spritz are refreshing\u2014easy to drink too many<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Discover more Italian-inspired drinks<\/strong> on <a href=\"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\">DrinkLeader<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Aperol Spritz has become the unofficial drink of summer. That iconic orange cocktail is refreshing, beautiful, and perfect for warm weather sipping. But at 150-200 calories per glass, it&#8217;s not exactly diet-friendly. Here are five lower-calorie Italian cocktails that deliver the same Mediterranean vibes. What&#8217;s in an Aperol Spritz? A classic Aperol Spritz contains: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,1],"tags":[16],"class_list":["post-96","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cocktails","category-low-calorie-drinks","category-uncategorized","tag-aperol-spritzitalian-cocktailsspritzsummer-cocktailsprosecco-cocktails"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":173,"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96\/revisions\/173"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drinkleader.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}