Ingredients
- 3 oz Prosecco well-chilled, dry style
- 2 oz Aperol
- 1 oz Fernet-Branca the bittersweet backbone
- 1 oz Club Soda to top
- 1 slice Orange for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a large wine glass with ice cubes (the bigger the better - they melt slower).
- Pour in the prosecco first, then the Aperol, then the Fernet-Branca. Building over ice keeps the drink layered for a moment before stirring through.
- Top with a splash of club soda. Stir once briefly to combine.
- Garnish with an orange slice. Serve immediately - this is a sipping drink, not a sit-on-it drink.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
This is a recent build, not a classic. Italian-Argentine bars in Buenos Aires and Naples started topping their Aperol Spritz with a Fernet float in tribute to Diego Maradona, who played for Napoli and adopted Italy as a second home. The Spritz is the drink everybody orders. The Fernet is the drink Argentinians grew up on. Stack one on top of the other and you have a glass that says both.
Maradona died in 2020 and the recipe took off through the 2020s. It is a tribute drink, not an old recipe.
What it tastes like
It is a novelty drink with a real flavour upgrade. The Aperol gives you bitter orange and a soft prosecco fizz. The Fernet float adds menthol, mint, and a properly bitter herbal kick.
Sip through the Fernet on the way down and the drink rebuilds itself with every mouthful. The first sip is herbal bitter, the middle is bittersweet orange, the last sip is sparkling wine. Three drinks for the price of one.
The technique
Build the spritz first in a large wine glass over plenty of ice. Three ounces of prosecco, two ounces of Aperol, a splash of soda, an orange slice on the rim. Stir gently to combine.
Float the Fernet last. One ounce poured slowly over the back of an inverted bar spoon held just above the surface. Slow pour, gentle angle. The Fernet sits on top long enough to keep the visual layered until the second sip drags it through the rest of the drink.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The float that makes the difference.
Fernet-Branca
- Use
- Fernet-Branca, the standard 39 percent Italian amaro
- Try
- Branca Menta (the lighter, sweeter cousin) or Cynar for a vegetal bitter
- Why
- Twenty-seven botanicals, bitter, herbal, mentholated. Argentina drinks roughly 75 percent of the world’s Fernet output. The Branca recipe holds the float and the bitterness together. Avoid generic no-name fernet, the formula is what makes it work.
Aperol
- Use
- Aperol (the standard Italian aperitivo)
- Try
- Select Aperitivo (Venetian house brand) or Campari for sharper and redder
- Why
- Aperol is bittersweet orange and rhubarb at 11 percent ABV. It is the Italian half of the drink. Campari pushes harder on the bitter; Select sits between the two.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
No Prosecco
- Maradona Negroni
- Drop the prosecco, build over ice with equal parts Aperol, sweet vermouth, and gin, then float Fernet on top. Stronger, more focused, less spritzy.
Sweeter Version
- Maradona Branca Menta
- Swap the Fernet float for Branca Menta. Same drink, more mint, less bitter. Easier in summer.
Argentinian Style
- Fernet and Cola
- The drink Argentina actually orders. One part Fernet to three parts cola over ice. Skip the spritz, this is the daily pour.
What if I don’t have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Branca Menta gives you a softer, mintier float. Cynar adds a vegetal bitter note. Skip Jagermeister, the spice profile clashes with the Aperol.
Campari makes it sharper and redder. Select Aperitivo (the Venetian house brand) is the closest swap and what most Italian bartenders use.
Any dry sparkling white. Cava, cremant, even a basic Champagne all work. Avoid sweet sparkling wines, the drink already has enough sugar.
A splash of plain sparkling water. The soda is just there to lift the drink, not to flavour it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is a Maradona Spritz?
An Aperol Spritz topped with a float of Fernet-Branca. Three ounces prosecco, two ounces Aperol, one ounce club soda, and one ounce of Fernet floated on top. Built in a wine glass over ice.
How do you float Fernet on a spritz?
Pour the Fernet slowly over the back of an inverted bar spoon held just above the surface of the drink. Fernet is denser than soda but lighter than the spirit-and-juice mix below if you keep the pour slow.
Why is it called a Maradona Spritz?
Tribute to Diego Maradona, who played for Napoli and made Italy a second home. The Aperol is the Italian half, the Fernet is the Argentinian half. The drink is both at once.
What does a Maradona Spritz taste like?
Bitter orange and prosecco fizz from the Aperol Spritz base, then a wave of mint, menthol, and herbal bitter from the Fernet on the way down. Each sip changes as you go through the float.
Is a Maradona Spritz strong?
Mid-strength. Around 13 percent ABV in the glass, slightly higher than a standard Aperol Spritz because of the Fernet. Two of these is a long lunch.
When did the Maradona Spritz appear?
Argentine and Italian bars started building it through the 2010s and the recipe took off after Maradona’s death in 2020. It is a tribute drink, not a classic.
Can you make a Maradona Spritz without Fernet?
You can, but then you are back to a regular Aperol Spritz. The Fernet is the entire reason for the drink. Branca Menta is the closest substitute.
What glass should you use for a Maradona Spritz?
A large white wine glass. Same glass an Aperol Spritz uses. The wide bowl shows off the Fernet float and gives you room for the orange slice.
How many calories in a Maradona Spritz?
Around 200 calories. Most of it is sugar from the Aperol and the prosecco. The Fernet adds maybe 30 calories on top.
What is the best garnish for a Maradona Spritz?
A wide orange slice on the rim, same as a regular Aperol Spritz. Some bartenders add a green olive on a pick to nod to the Italian aperitivo tradition. Skip mint, the Fernet already brings the menthol.
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