Spicy Mango Spritz

The spritz is a format, not a recipe: something bitter or fruity, something sparkling, something to lengthen it. Aperol got there first. That does not make it the only answer.

Here the Mango Habanero liqueur takes the aperitif slot. Prosecco keeps it dry and gives it lift, soda water stretches it out, and the mango stays clearly tropical instead of turning into orange candy. The habanero is the part that makes people look up mid-conversation — it comes in after the bubbles, warm and brief, and then the next mouthful is cold and fruity again.

Big wine glass, ice to the top, liqueur first so it does not sit on the surface, then Prosecco, then a splash of soda. Stir once from the bottom — any more and you lose the fizz that holds the whole thing together. Lime slice as standard; a small chilli or a sprig of mint if you want to be obvious about it. Four centilitres of liqueur is an aperitif, six is a statement.