The original spritz veneziano (Italian: [ˈsprits venetˈtsjaːno]) uses Select as bitters and was created in Venice in 1920.

[9] Over the years the drink has "grown up" with a variety of possible additions, such as a sort of liquor or a bitter as the China Martini or Cynar with a lemon peel inside.

[10] Generally, the drink is prepared with Prosecco wine, bitter liqueur such as Aperol, Campari, Cynar or, especially in Venice, Aperitivo Select,[11][12] then the glass is topped off with a dash of sparkling mineral water (more commonly club soda).

It is usually served with ice in a wine or rocks glass and garnished with a slice of orange, or sometimes an olive, depending on the liqueur.

A common denominator is the presence of sparkling white wine and water, with the remaining being made up from a great variety of alcoholic drinks, sometimes mixed, but with an unwritten rule to preserve the red/orange color of the cocktail.