Lemon, Lime, Orange Spritz Recipe

Juice the citrus: squeeze fresh lemons, limes, and oranges until you have the stated amounts. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring jug to remove pulp and seeds.

Make the sweetened citrus base: combine the strained lemon, lime and orange juices with 1/2 cup simple syrup and 1 cup cold water; stir until fully homogenized. Taste and adjust sweetness—if you prefer brighter acidity, reduce cold water by up to 1/4 cup; for sweeter spritz, add up to 2 tablespoons more simple syrup.

Chill the base in the refrigerator while preparing the wine-infused syrup (about 10–15 minutes).

Make the red-wine syrup

Combine 1 cup Cahors-style red wine and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add 3 whole cloves and two large strips of fresh lemon peel to the pan. Warm gently, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves (about 4–6 minutes). Do not let the mixture come to a boil — keep it at a bare simmer to concentrate flavor without burning alcohol note.

Once sugar dissolves and aroma is rich (about 6–8 minutes total), remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to develop aromatics from the cloves and lemon peel.

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids and transfer the red-wine syrup to a small container to cool to room temperature, then chill if not using immediately. Yield will be roughly 1 cup of syrup.

Prepare glasses: fill eight tall glasses (or four large wine glasses) with ice cubes and add one orange slice and one thin lemon wheel per glass.

Combine base and wine syrup: for each serving (approx. 8–10 oz glass), pour 1/3 cup citrus spritz base into the glass, then add 2 tablespoons of the red-wine syrup to introduce the Mary Taylor 'Cahors' note. Stir gently to incorporate.

Top with sparkling water: add 3/4 cup chilled club soda or sparkling water to each glass (adjust to preference for fizz). Stir gently once to marry flavors without flattening effervescence.

Finish and garnish: float a mint sprig and an additional orange slice on top. If desired, drizzle a very light (1/2 teaspoon) extra red-wine syrup over the top for a visual red swirl and stronger wine aroma.

Serve immediately while chilled and fizzy.