Bicicletta Cocktail Recipe
Bitter aperitif with white wine and soda — the lightest thing on any Italian aperitivo list.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Wine glass
- ABV: 8%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Bitter aperitif50 ml (1.7 oz)
- White wine90 ml (3 oz)
- Soda water50 ml (1.7 oz)
How to Make It
- Fill a wine glass with ice.
- Add the bitter aperitif and white wine.
- Top with soda water and stir gently.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Garnish
Orange slice
What it tastes like
It has a bitter backbone, it is carbonated and it is low in alcohol.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A stemmed wine glass. The big bowl leaves room for ice and fruit, and gives the aroma somewhere to gather.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Soda water
- Plain carbonated water. It goes in LAST and nothing is stirred after it. An open bottle goes flat fast, so small bottles make more sense than big ones.
The Story
Named for the older gentlemen of northern Italy who would wobble home on their bicycles after a few; nobody has improved on the joke.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Bicicletta mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in a wine glass.
- How strong is a Bicicletta?
- Roughly 8% ABV as served — lighter than a beer — a long-conversation drink that takes a second round.
- Can a Bicicletta be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Bicicletta hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Wine in a dream
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.