Sober Spritzing: Ghia
Aperol Spritz will forever and always be my #1. I couldn’t wait for the summer to start drinking them again on the regular, but my husband and I have had some health concerns/health goals that just don’t jive with regular consumption of alcohol. Because of this, I wanted to explore the world of non-alcoholic aperitifs to see if they’re any good. Besides, the spritz lifestyle is for all, even those who don’t or temporarily can’t consume alcohol.
First up for this adventure: Ghia.
I’d seen Ghia in the stories of a few influencers I follow, and their packaging and product description stood out to me. I was excited to try it, but because it’s kind of pricey, I waited. Then, I saw it on Shark Tank, and was shocked when they didn’t get a deal! Finally, when we came to the realization that we wanted to cut down further on our already very moderate consumption of alcohol, I decided to order it.
In person, the packaging was even more beautiful than online. Now, it was time to see if it held up to the hype.
Ghia Spritz
Lots of ice!
1 part Ghia
2 parts sparkling water
Combine the above ingredients in a large wine glass. I didn’t use any garnish, but I imagine a slice of orange, grapefruit, or ribbon of ginger would be incredible!
Here’s my verdict: Ghia isn’t sweet enough or bitter enough to ever become a full-time replacement for Aperol or Campari. In my opinion, the predominant flavor is ginger, which is great, but not something that I would crave before dinner (when I usually indulge in an Aperol or Campari Spritz), or that really gets my appetite going. However - it is fresh and flavorful, and something that I think makes an excellent morning cocktail! Today, my Ghia spritz was a perfect complement to my plate of fluffy pancakes, Italian sausage patties, and over-easy egg. I would buy Ghia again, but only for special occasions or when I know I’m really going to be using it up, since it only lasts for 3 weeks open in the fridge.
Although Ghia isn’t my favorite nonalcoholic aperitif that I’ve tried so far (more to come on this soon), I’m so glad that it exists and is a part of a growing lineup of options for those that don’t imbibe, or would like to partake less often. Two things are for sure - my bottle of Ghia will be savored while it lasts, and the bottle will live on my bar cart longer after it’s empty!
