This Is the Spritz Everyone Will Be Drinking at the Milano Cortina Olympics
The hospitality company behind the Winter Olympics is putting a signature cocktail on its menus — and it’s frozen.
Image Courtesy of On Location
When people gather from all over the world for a major sports event, viral food and drink moments emerge. The U.S. Open has the Honey Deuce. The Paris 2024 Olympics had those infamous chocolate muffins. So, looking ahead to the Winter Olympics starting in northern Italy this week, we can’t help but wonder what the next “it” item will be.
On Location, the official hospitality provider for the Games, might have the answer. The team designed menus for 12 competition venues, spanning four regions and nine counties across Italy. The company plans to serve over three million meals in three weeks. It’s been prepping for these Games since 2024.
Those menu plans include a signature drink. And, despite the winter weather, that drink is frozen.
What is the Frozen Spritz on the menu at the Milano Cortina Olympics?
The Frozen Spritz was “designed to capture a distinctly Italian identity: elegant, iconic, and instantly recognizable,” Tommaso Cavallari, On Location's Food & Beverage Director for the Milano Cortina Games, tells Food Network.
It’s a tall order: Represent the regional diversity of the host country while appealing to guests from all over the world. But it’s hard to go wrong with a spritz.
“The concept was to develop a frozen cocktail that would resonate with both international and local guests, embodying the essence of Italy and the spirit of aperitivo in a contemporary way,” Cavallari adds.
This spritz is made with ingredients from across the country.
“It brings together two emblematic elements: Limoncello, representing the warmth and tradition of Southern Italy, and Prosecco, expressing the refinement and character of the North,” Cavallari says. “An aromatic touch of fresh basil completes the profile, adding depth and finesse. The frozen texture creates a soft, enveloping sensation, visually reminiscent of snow.”
Why is the Olympics spritz frozen?
The most surprising thing about this cocktail is the temperature.
“We wanted to challenge the expectation that frozen drinks belong only on summer menus,” Cavallari says. “It’s a drink that feels both festive and unmistakably Italian — a way to offer guests something unexpected that still feels perfectly at home in winter.”
Personally, I’m all for leaning into an icy drink with matching weather. As a New Englander, you can pry my iced Dunkin coffee out of my cold, ungloved hands — and I’m not alone in that.
To me, this drink does seem like a fun way to shake things up during a season normally reserved for tame, cozy Hot Toddies and mulled wine. It sounds a bit like pairing butter with a cheese board or adding olive oil to a dirty martini; there’s something rule-breaking and exciting about doubling down on a theme. And if there’s a “more is more” occasion it’s surely the Olympics, right?
Or maybe not. Panera introduced its first Frozen Hot Chocolate in the fall. It could be that frozen beverages are becoming more popular in the winter in the United States, too. Maybe the Olympics will only encourage the trend. I, for one, give that prospect a warm welcome.
Try These Spritz Recipes
Aperol Spritz
This simple, classic aperitif evokes sunny days in Italy, with its beautiful hue and distinctive herbaceous flavor.
Pomegranate Hugo Spritz
"I love a spritz and wanted to create a version that could be sipped year-round, not only in the summer."
Peach Lemonade Spritz
This is such a refreshing cold drink!
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