Is an Aperol Spritz Actually Low-Calorie? Dietitians Fact-Check the Trend
By Alexander Ross
The International Bartenders Association (IBA) recipe dictates a precise build: three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, and a splash of soda water. How that formula manifests inside a standard balloon wine glass determines its ultimate nutritional weight.
A three-ounce (90 ml) pour of commercial Prosecco Doc adds roughly 65 to 75 calories, depending on the residual sweetness of the wine. Most budget-friendly proseccos poured at commercial bars fall into the "Brut" or "Extra Dry" categories. Despite the name, "Extra Dry" prosecco is sweeter than Brut, adding another two to three grams of dissolved sugar per glass.
When assembled over ice, the breakdown of an authentic pour looks like this:
- Prosecco (3 oz / 90 ml): 70 calories, 1.5g carbohydrates
- Aperol (2 oz / 60 ml): 103 calories, 15.5g carbohydrates
- Club Soda (1 oz / 30 ml): 0 calories, 0g carbohydrates
- 173 calories and 17 grams of sugar
The overall standard drink ABV floats at approximately 8% to 9%, diluted down from Aperol’s baseline 11% ABV and Prosecco’s 11.5% ABV by melting ice and zero-proof seltzer. While that lower alcohol concentration moderates immediate intoxication, it easily encourages a second or third round, tripling the sugar load before dinner even arrives.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
