When I lived in Rome six years ago, I grew to love the bittersweet flavor of an Aperol Spritz. The light, fizzy mouthfeel, the neon hue, the orange slice garnishing the rim of the glass . . . It’s been my go-to aperitivo ever since. So when a variety of publications (including this one) declared summer 2017 the “summer of the spritz,” I was taken aback.

In Italy, every summer is the summer of the spritz! Moreover, the spritz (derived from the Austrian Empire–era habit of adding a spritz of water to wine) and the amari (plural of amaro) that go into them needn’t be restricted to summer imbibing. Inspired by Italian drinking customs, leading bartenders across the U.S. are increasingly incorporating amari into their cocktails, and—somewhat ironically—Italian bartenders are broadening the way they use amari as they find inspiration in American mixology.