The classic gin spritz follows a well-known basic ratio of gin, Prosecco and soda, built over plenty of ice in a wine glass and finished with a citrus wheel. Pour gin, Prosecco and soda in the classic 2:3:1 ratio, stir once, and you’re done. Want to shift the flavour? A 15–20 ml splash of elderflower liqueur, fresh grapefruit juice or a berry cordial changes the whole character without throwing off the balance.
TL;DR:
- Using a 2:3:1 ratio of gin, Prosecco, and soda is flexible, but choose a brut or extra dry Prosecco to avoid excessive sweetness in citrus styles.
- Large, dense ice cubes and pre-chilled glasses are essential to maintain temperature and prevent dilution, especially during extended serving periods.
- Variations with elderflower, grapefruit, berries, or mint and lime require minimal additional ingredients and can be adapted to seasonality and personal preference.
- Matching gin to the spritz style enhances flavor, with citrus-forward gins suited for grapefruit and lemon builds, and tropical or winter gins for specific seasonal variations.
- Proper pouring order and gentle stirring preserve bubbles and aromatics, with a final citrus squeeze or bitters elevating a flat-tasting spritz easily.
Table of Contents
- Classic gin spritz recipe: measures, method and batch scaling
- Four gin spritz variations to match the season
- Choosing the right gin, Prosecco and mixers
- Technique tips that separate a good spritz from a great one
- Which Winston Quinn gin suits which spritz
- When to pour which spritz
- Try these spritz builds with a Winston Quinn gin
- Sources
- FAQ
Classic gin spritz recipe: measures, method and batch scaling
Get the 2:3:1 ratio right and everything else in this guide is just variation on a theme. In ounces, that’s roughly 2 oz gin, 3 oz Prosecco and 1 oz soda, which converts cleanly to 60 ml, 90 ml and 30 ml for anyone working in metric. It’s a forgiving formula. The gin gives structure, the Prosecco brings lift and acidity, and the soda stretches everything into something you can actually sip through an afternoon rather than a single round.
Here’s the build, start to finish:
- Pre-chill your wine glass or copa in the freezer for a few minutes, or fill it with ice and water while you set up.
- Fill the glass generously with large ice cubes. Don’t skimp here.
- Pour 60 ml gin over the ice first.
- Add 90 ml Prosecco.
- Top with 30 ml soda water.
- Stir once, gently, to combine without knocking the bubbles flat.
- Garnish and serve immediately.
Scaling up for a crowd is straightforward. For multiple serves, batch the gin and soda in a jug and keep it in the fridge, but add the Prosecco to each glass individually rather than the jug. Pre-mixing the bubbles kills the fizz before your guests get a look in. If you’re hosting a longer session, this two-stage approach means every glass poured after the first still has proper sparkle.
Four gin spritz variations to match the season
A base recipe is only as good as its variations, and this is where a gin spritz earns its reputation as one of the most refreshing gin drinks around. Each of the following swaps a small measure into the classic build, so none of them require rethinking your ratios from scratch.
- Elderflower garden spritz: Use 45 ml gin, 20 ml elderflower liqueur, a splash of soda and Prosecco to top, with cucumber and elderflower doing the heavy lifting on aroma. Garnish with cucumber ribbons and mint, and pair with soft cheeses or a summer salad.
- Citrus grapefruit spritz: Build with gin, 15–20 ml grapefruit liqueur or fresh grapefruit juice, and Prosecco, echoing the proportions in a citrus spritz built for warm-weather sipping. A pink grapefruit wheel on the rim finishes it. This one pairs well with seafood or anything grilled.
- Pink berry spritz: Muddle two or three strawberries or raspberries in the base of the glass, then build as classic with 15–20 ml berry cordial in place of some of the soda. Drop a whole berry in for garnish. It leans sweeter, so this is your cooler-months, dessert-adjacent pour.
- Mint and lime spritz: Muddle mint leaves with a lime wedge, add gin, top with Prosecco to finish. It’s the lowest-effort variation here and suits hot afternoons where you want something bracing rather than fruity.
To dial back sweetness on any of these, cut the liqueur to 15 ml and top up with extra soda. To lighten the alcohol without losing the drink’s shape, drop the gin to 45 ml and let the Prosecco carry a little more weight. Warmer months favour the citrus and mint builds; the elderflower and berry versions feel more at home once the weather turns.
Choosing the right gin, Prosecco and mixers
Not every gin behaves the same way once Prosecco and soda enter the picture, and picking the right bottle changes more than people expect. A juniper-forward London dry style holds its own against the sweetness of sparkling wine, giving you a drier, more classic profile. Floral gins lean naturally into elderflower and garden-style builds, while citrus-forward gins do the legwork already handled by grapefruit or lemon in a citrus spritz, so you can use less added juice.
Prosecco choice matters just as much. Brut or Extra dry styles keep the drink balanced, because their lower residual sugar stops the whole thing tipping into cloying territory. Sweeter labels can work in the berry variation, but they’re the wrong call for anything citrus-led.
For mixers, soda water is the standard choice because it’s neutral and lets the gin and Prosecco do the talking. Tonic water adds bitterness that can clash with fruitier builds, so save it for classic G&T territory. Flavoured sparkling waters, particularly grapefruit or lime versions, work well as a soda substitute in the citrus variation.
Kit-wise, you don’t need much:
- A wine glass or copa
- A bar spoon for gentle stirring
- A jigger for accurate measures
- Large ice cubes, preferably from a tray designed for bigger cubes
- A citrus zester or peeler for garnish
Technique tips that separate a good spritz from a great one
Ice isn’t a garnish here. It’s a working ingredient that controls dilution and holds the drink’s temperature, so fill the glass generously with large, dense cubes before you pour anything. Smaller cubes melt faster and water the drink down within minutes, which is the single most common reason a home-made spritz falls flat compared with one from a bar.
Serving temperature matters more than most people realise. Pre-chill your Prosecco and your glass, aiming for a drink that lands close to freezing, because both the aromatics and the bubble quality suffer once things warm up. Build in order: gin first, Prosecco second, soda last. This sequence lets the gin’s botanicals settle into the glass before the bubbles hit, giving you a more aromatic pour than dumping everything in at once.
Stir once, gently. Over-stirring flattens the Prosecco and you lose the lift that makes a spritz work in the first place.
Pro Tip: A short squeeze of fresh citrus or two dashes of aromatic bitters right before serving lifts the whole drink without adding real sweetness, and it’s the fastest way to fix a spritz that tastes a touch flat.
Which Winston Quinn gin suits which spritz
At Winstonquinn, we build our gins with a flavour-first approach, which makes matching bottle to build fairly intuitive once you know what each one brings to the glass. Slim Crop Gin is bright and citrus-driven, so it’s a natural fit for grapefruit and lemon-led spritzes. Our Slim Crop Orchard Spritz shows exactly how that plays out in the glass.
For fruit-forward or tiki-leaning builds, reach for Tropical Trim Gin. It carries enough natural sweetness and brightness to carry a berry or tropical spritz without extra sugar, and our Tropical Trim Kiwi Fizz is worth trying as a template.
White Christmas Gin is the pick for spiced or wintery variations, where warmer botanicals stand up well against a drier Prosecco. Browse the full gin cocktail recipe collection for more combinations worth trying at home.
When to pour which spritz
An easygoing afternoon calls for something simple, cold and low-fuss. The mint and lime build or a classic pour both do that job without asking much of you. Save the elderflower or berry versions for when you’re marking an occasion, because they read as more considered without actually being harder to make.
Whatever direction you take, lean into what’s in season and what’s growing nearby. A local herb or a piece of overripe stone fruit will do more for a spritz than any imported garnish. If nothing else, keep a bottle of something at 15–20 ml on hand, whether that’s a cordial, a liqueur or fresh juice, and experiment. The base recipe is sturdy enough to carry the swap.
— Winston
Try these spritz builds with a Winston Quinn gin
Some artisanal gins are distilled from natural, locally sourced botanicals with no artificial additives, making them well suited to carry a spritz without being overwhelmed. If you like your gin bright and citrus-forward, Slim Crop Gin is the obvious starting point for the classic or grapefruit builds. For fruitier, more tropical spritzes, Tropical Trim Gin does the work without extra syrup. And when the weather cools and you want something with more spice, White Christmas Gin suits a winter-leaning pour.
Not sure which bottle fits your glass? Browse the full gin range, or take the personalised quiz on our site to find your match before you buy. Either way, you’ll have a bottle in hand and a spritz on the go within the hour.
Sources
- Gin Spritz — DrinksWorld
- Citrus spritz recipe | Gourmet Traveller
- Elderflower gin spritz — Cabana Lifestyle
FAQ
How do you make a gin spritz?
Fill a wine glass with plenty of ice, then pour 60 ml gin, 90 ml Prosecco and 30 ml soda water in that order. Stir once, gently, and garnish with a citrus wheel or fresh herbs before serving straight away.
What is the best gin spritz recipe?
The classic build using the 2:3:1 ratio of gin, Prosecco and soda is the most reliable starting point, and it’s easy to adapt with a 15–20 ml splash of elderflower liqueur or fresh citrus juice. Beyond that, the “best” version comes down to preference, whether you lean citrus-forward with Slim Crop Gin or fruitier with Tropical Trim Gin.
What’s the difference between a gin fizz and a gin spritz?
A gin fizz is shaken with lemon juice, sugar and soda water, giving it a frothy, tart character built around the citrus and sugar balance. A gin spritz skips the shake and the sugar syrup entirely, relying instead on Prosecco for sweetness and lift, poured straight over ice.
Can you make a simple gin and Prosecco cocktail?
Yes. The classic gin spritz is essentially that: gin, Prosecco and a splash of soda over ice, no shaking or specialist equipment required. It takes under two minutes to build once your ingredients are chilled.
What gin works best in a spritz?
A juniper-forward London dry style gives a drier, more classic result, while citrus or floral gins pair naturally with fruit-led or garden-style variations. Winstonquinn’s Slim Crop Gin suits citrus builds, and Tropical Trim Gin works well in fruitier spritzes.
