Move over, Aperol: There are a few new spritzes in town. Ken Budney Jr., bar manager of Craft Collective in the Van Aken District, gets creative with cocktail combos based around amaro, the Italian liqueur at the heart of these boozy, bubbly beverages. Each of his creations features a cider made by BottleHouse Brewing Co., Craft’s parent company.
“We take the classic spritz and make it even more interesting using a broad variety of amaros and our own sparkling ciders,” says Budney, who has spent two decades in the bartending industry. One of his tastiest combos of late is the Purple Prose ($8), a vibrantly violet, not-too-sweet sipper made with a floral amaro, honey-vanilla vodka and BottleHouse’s Rhapsody, an oak-aged blueberry cider.
“Spritzes have taken off this year, and we’re one of very few bars in Cleveland that has a really large amaro selection,” Budney says. Though they’re typically a warm-weather drink, expect to see spritzes on Craft Collective’s menu all year long, with wintry flavors such as allspice and black walnut making an appearance in the colder months. 3449 Tuttle Road, Shaker Heights, 216-556-1146, craft-collective.co
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