The Great Venetian Spritz Off (opens in new tab)

With Aperol losing its fizz, Cynar—a faintly medicinal, artichoke-based liqueur—is suddenly on the rise By Elena Clavarino In 2023, a New York Times piece titled “The Martini Has Lost Its Mind” lamented how bartenders were suddenly using everything from Muscadet wine to kombu seaweed to chicken soup to make the classic cocktail. “The manic accessorizing of the martini is born not of creativity, but of competition,” it read. In Venice this week, as the Biennale unfurls across town, you can wat...