Aperol Spritz Alternatives: Three Mediterranean Ideas with LOLA

You know your favourite drink. The glass, the colour, that first bittersweet note. Loyalty is lovely. But sometimes curiosity is lovelier.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Aperol Spritz, start with taste: do you want to stay with sweet and bitter notes, or would you rather discover lemon and lime? LOLA has three sides for that: Orange stands for Sweet + Bitter, Lemon for Sweet + Sour and Lime for Fresh + Sour. What actually makes an aperitif, we explain in “What Is an Aperitif?”

Three ways to give your spritz a new direction. And three Mediterranean places that inspire us along the way.

Which Aperol Spritz alternative suits your taste?

For this article, we stick with the sparkling spritz in a wine glass and change only the base. This overview helps you make a first choice:

What you’re in the mood for	Your LOLA	Taste profile	Inspiration
Sweetness with a bitter contrast	LOLA Orange	Sweet + Bitter	Saint-Tropez
Lemon between sweet and sour	LOLA Lemon	Sweet + Sour	Amalfi Coast
Lime with fresh acidity	LOLA Lime	Fresh + Sour	Ibiza

The profiles describe the character of each variety. Every LOLA is an aperitif in its own right – not a copy of another. To pin down your personal taste even more precisely, read “Sweet, Bitter or Sour: Which Aperitif Suits You?”

Orange: which spritz alternative offers sweet and bitter notes?

If you love the interplay of sweetness and bitterness in an aperitif, LOLA Orange is your starting point: ripe orange character, Sweet + Bitter.

Our inspiration here is Saint-Tropez. Warm light on the table, a bowl of olives, dinner still a while away – and nobody checking the time. How this mood made it in front of the camera, we tell in “Three Days in Saint-Tropez”.

Your Orange Spritz doesn’t need a big production. A well-chilled drink, a fresh slice of orange, a beautifully laid place.

Our snack idea: crisp crostini with a little olive tapenade. The salty, savoury bite contrasts with the sweet side of the drink. Keep the topping light so it doesn’t overpower the aperitif.

Discover LOLA Orange

Lemon: what works if you’re after a lemony aperitif?

Want to move away from orange? LOLA Lemon is all about lemon and the play of sweetness and acidity: Sweet + Sour.

The Amalfi Coast inspires this character – as an image, not as a statement of origin: pale linen, a terrace, a strip of sea and lemon yellow in warm light. If you’d like to experience an aperitivo with a view there yourself, you’ll find ideas in “Aperitivo on the Amalfi Coast – 5 Bars with a Sea View”.

As a spritz, Lemon gets sparkling company from prosecco and soda. A slice of lemon picks up the theme – that’s all it takes.

Our snack idea: small pieces of focaccia with stracciatella and a little finely grated lemon zest. The creamy texture contrasts with the sparkling drink, and the zest ties the two together. Use an unwaxed lemon.

If you usually enjoy a Limoncello Spritz, Lemon is another lemony direction to explore – as an aperitif in its own right, not as a limoncello.

Discover LOLA Lemon

Lime: which alternative brings lime into the spritz glass?

LOLA Lime stands for Fresh + Sour. Here, lime takes the lead – for anyone looking for a different citrus accent who likes things a little unpredictable.

Our image for it is Ibiza: an open terrace, shade on pale stone, a table with room for one more. But the drink works just as well on your balcony.

With ice, prosecco, a splash of soda and a slice of lime, the preparation stays deliberately simple.

Our snack idea: small cucumber bites with feta and mint – crunchy, creamy and salty all at once. Skip any extra lime dressing: not every bite has to repeat the acidity of the drink.

Discover LOLA Lime

Loyalty is lovely. But sometimes curiosity is lovelier.

How do you make a LOLA Spritz?

All three variations use the same LOLA recipe. You only change the variety and the matching citrus garnish.

Ingredients for one glass:

• 6 cl (60 ml) LOLA Orange, Lemon or Lime
• 4 cl (40 ml) prosecco
• a splash of soda
• ice cubes
• a slice of orange, lemon or lime to match the variety

How to make it:

1. Fill a large wine glass generously with ice cubes.
2. Add LOLA and the well-chilled prosecco.
3. Top up with a splash of soda and stir briefly and gently.
4. Garnish with the matching citrus fruit and serve straight away.

The LOLA recipe deliberately puts more emphasis on the aperitif than on the prosecco. The classic Aperol Spritz, by contrast, follows a ratio of three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda.^[1] You’ll find all the details in the LOLA Spritz recipe.

Where the spritz actually comes from and how it’s enjoyed in Venice’s bacari, you’ll find out in “Venice and the Spritz: On the Trail of Aperitivo Culture”.

What should you keep in mind when mixing a spritz alternative?

Measure the first time. That way you get to know the ratio and can adjust it consciously later – rather than pouring by colour.

Chill everything in advance. Prosecco and soda only go into the glass just before serving, so the spritz stays fresh and sparkling.

Keep the garnish simple. Orange with Orange, lemon with Lemon, lime with Lime: that way you can clearly taste the differences.

Try it with a small bite. Our snack ideas are suggestions – what matters is what you enjoy together. For more ideas on snacks, quantities and preparation, see “Aperitif at Home: 7 Tips”.

Frequently asked questions about LOLA as a spritz alternative

Does LOLA Orange taste like Aperol?

No. LOLA Orange shares the play of sweetness and bitterness, but it is an aperitif base with its own character. If you enjoy that interplay of flavours, you’ll discover a new variation with it – not a copy.

Which LOLA suits a lemony spritz?

LOLA Lemon is the lemony variety with the Sweet + Sour profile. If you’re specifically looking for lime, LOLA Lime with Fresh + Sour is the right direction.

Is a LOLA Spritz alcohol-free?

No. LOLA Orange, Lemon and Lime each contain 18% ABV; prosecco is added in the spritz. The 18% ABV refers to the contents of the bottle, not the finished drink.

How many spritzes does one bottle of LOLA make?

With 6 cl of LOLA per glass, a 500 ml bottle makes eight spritzes, with 2 cl left over. Prosecco, soda and ice come on top.

Which taste is calling you?

Maybe you’ll stay with Orange and its bittersweet contrast. Maybe lemon will tempt you. Or lime is exactly the change you’ve been looking for.

Start with the profile that makes you curious. The rest unfolds in the glass.

Discover Orange, Lemon and Lime

Sources and further reading

1. Aperol: Official Aperol Spritz recipe (in German) (accessed 19 October 2026)