#Drink614: European vacation from the American Happy Hour

The American Happy Hour looks a lot like $4 bombs, $3 shots, 1/2 priced drafts, and three hours of strategically budgeting your time so that optimal drinks can be had while also maintaining a level of soberness to drive home. Shouldn’t the few hours after work be a laid back occasion with friends and coworkers when planning, pounding, and punctuality are left at the swivel chair?

We should take notes from the Europeans. They don’t feel the pressure of the hour hand closing in on as 7pm–the end of happy hour–grows nearer. They don’t bother with big strong drinks simply to reach tipsy levels, either.

Completely the opposite of our typical American happy hours, Italians would rather slow down and enjoy multiple low alcohol beverages than try to pound as many cheap drinks as possible. It’s about sipping and savoring while enjoying conversation and the sunshine. La dolce vita.

Enter the spritz.

The spritz, or more specifically, the Aperol Spritz, is a low ABV cocktail created and beloved by Italians, especially during the warm summer months.

“I think Americans are finally coming around to the more European style of session drinking,” said Barbara Reynolds, owner of The Bottle Shop. “People are loving session IPAs, Berliners and Goses, and the Spritz trend follows that.”

Because the building blocks of the spritz use an amaro (bitter aperitif) and a sparkling wine, it offers up unlimited possibilities to those with imagination. The essentials are simple: it’s bitter and fizzy. Use that as the framework, and you’re off and running. At The Bottle Shop, Reynolds might even swap out the sparkling wine for a float of beer, as a unique twist.

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