Barsys
Match Point Spritz
About
If the Honey Deuce is the drink you order for the occasion, the Match Point Spritz is the one you order to last the whole match.
This is the low, long, all-afternoon pour - light enough to drink through five sets in the sun without needing a lie-down afterward. It is built on the logic of a proper spritz: a little spirit, a lot of sparkle, and just enough flavor to keep you interested from the first pour to the last melt of ice.
Fresh lemonade sets the tone, tart and cold. Grey Goose vodka gives it a clean spine without weight. The quiet star is the St-Germain - half an ounce and change of elderflower liqueur that lifts the whole glass with a soft, floral sweetness somewhere between pear, honey, and a hedge in June. Then club soda over the top, which is what turns a decent drink into a spritz: it stretches everything out, lightens the sugar, and keeps the drink lively down to the bottom of the glass. A lemon wheel finishes it, more for scent and shine than flavor.
There is no old bar or dusty menu behind this one. It is a modern spritz built for the US Open mixlist - a warm-weather, wine-glass drink designed to be poured by the round and sipped slowly. Elegant, sparkling, and refreshingly uncomplicated, which is the entire point.
Shaken or Stirred? Neither, really - it is built and barely stirred. Everything but the soda goes into the glass over ice with one gentle stir to combine. The club soda goes in last, straight over the top, and gets nothing more than a single lift with the bar spoon. Shake it and you flatten the fizz before it reaches the glass. With a spritz, the bubbles are half the drink, so the lighter your hand, the better it drinks.
What You'll Need
- 1.5 oz Grey Goose Vodka
- 2.25 oz Fresh Lemonade
- 0.75 oz St-Germain (elderflower liqueur)
- Ice cubes
Glass: Wine glass
Garnish: Lemon wheel and Club Soda, to top
Pro Tip: Fill the wine glass properly with ice before you build. A generous ice load looks right in a big glass and, counterintuitively, keeps the drink colder and less watery than a stingy pour. Add the soda last and cold, straight from a fresh bottle, so it fizzes hard.
How to Make It
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
- Fill a wine glass with cubed ice.
- Add the Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemonade, and St-Germain.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Top with club soda and give it one light lift with the spoon.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and serve.
Using Barsys AI Cocktail Maker?
A spritz lives or dies on balance, and this one has a trap built into it: both the lemonade and the St-Germain are sweet. Pour either one heavy and the drink slides from crisp to cloying before the soda ever gets a chance to save it.
Barsys 360 AI Cocktail Maker measures the vodka, lemonade, and elderflower to spec so the base lands balanced every time, leaving you to do the only part that needs a human touch - topping with cold soda and stopping there. Precise where it counts, hands-off where it should be.
For the full recipe, download the Barsys App.
Tasting Notes
The Barsys Edge
The Match Point Spritz reads simple, and it mostly is - but "simple" and "easy to get right" are not the same thing. Two sweeteners, one spirit, and a soda top means the ratio has almost no margin. A touch too much elderflower and it turns floral-heavy; too little soda and it drinks like syrup.
Barsys keeps the vodka, lemonade, and St-Germain locked in proportion, so the base is always dialed before the bubbles go on. What you get is a spritz that stays light and clean by round three, not one that quietly turns sweet halfway through the afternoon.
Sip Setting
This is a daytime drink, and it knows it. It is made for the slow hours - a long lunch that drifts into the afternoon, a match on in the background, a garden that catches the sun.
Because it is light on alcohol and easy to batch, it is also the smart host's pour: mix a jug of the base, keep cold soda on hand, and top glasses as they empty. Nobody peaks too early, and the party keeps its legs. Elegant, sociable, and built for the long haul.
Garnish Game
A lemon wheel is all this drink asks for, and it earns its place - cut it thin, lay it against the inside of the glass, and it adds shine and a hit of citrus oil every time you lift the drink.
If you want to lean into the elderflower, a small sprig of mint or a couple of thin cucumber ribbons work beautifully and keep the whole thing looking like summer. Keep it restrained, though. A spritz should look clear and cool, not crowded.
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FAQs
What is a Match Point Spritz?
A light, sparkling vodka spritz made with Grey Goose, fresh lemonade, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, and club soda, served over ice in a wine glass with a lemon wheel.
Is it shaken or stirred?
Neither - it is built in the glass and barely stirred. The club soda goes on last and should never be shaken, or you lose the fizz.
What glass should I use?
A wine glass, filled with cubed ice. The wide bowl suits a spritz and holds plenty of ice.
Is it strong?
No, and that is the appeal. With only 1.5 oz of vodka stretched with lemonade and soda, it is a low-ABV, easy-sipping drink you can enjoy through the afternoon.
Is it sweet?
Lightly. Both the lemonade and the elderflower bring sweetness, but the club soda and lemon keep it crisp rather than syrupy.
What is St-Germain?
An elderflower liqueur with a soft, floral flavor - think pear, honey, and light citrus. It is what gives the spritz its signature aroma.
What can I use instead of St-Germain?
Any elderflower liqueur or elderflower syrup will work. If you use syrup, use a little less, since it is sweeter and non-alcoholic.
Can I make it without alcohol?
Yes. Drop the vodka, use elderflower syrup in place of St-Germain, and lean on more lemonade and soda for a bright, floral non-alcoholic spritz.
When should I serve it?
Warm afternoons, brunches, garden parties, and long US Open watch sessions where you want to drink slowly and stay fresh.