For International Spritz Day on Aug. 1, Evan Funke’s hidden Hollywood lounge explores the cocktail’s range through bergamot, grapefruit, limoncello and peach. Los Angeles in August asks two things of a cocktail: keep it cold and make it interesting. Bar Avoja, the intimate lounge tucked behind Mother Wolf in Hollywood, answers with bubbles, bitter liqueurs and a dedicated spritz menu that moves far beyond the familiar orange glow of Aperol.
Led by chef Evan Funke, the enoteca-inspired hideaway treats the spritz as a flexible cocktail format rather than a single recipe. Its four variations travel through citrus, botanicals, garden herbs and ripe summer fruit, each built around the drink’s essential appeal: refreshment with enough bitterness and acidity to keep the next sip inviting.
The timing lands neatly with International Spritz Day on Saturday, Aug. 1, but the menu also reflects a broader shift in modern cocktail culture. Once primarily associated with prosecco, soda and a bitter orange aperitivo, the spritz has become a framework bartenders can pull in different directions—dry, floral, herbal or fruit-forward—without sacrificing its easygoing character.
At Bar Avoja, the house favorite is the Spritz Bianchi, made with Italicus, Cocchi Americano, orange bitters, lemon and prosecco. Italicus brings the floral fragrance and citrus character of Calabrian bergamot, while Cocchi Americano contributes bitterness and a lightly spiced backbone. Lemon tightens the edges before prosecco lifts the drink with a clean, dry finish.
The Nuovo Classico follows a more restrained path. Carpano Botanic and Bitter Bianco meet grapefruit and prosecco, creating a pale, bittersweet spritz shaped by herbs and citrus pith. Its profile should appeal to guests who enjoy the appetite-opening quality of a traditional aperitivo but prefer something drier and less fruit-driven than an Aperol Spritz.
For a more expressive pour, the Anacapri combines limoncello, Monkey 47 gin, butterfly pea flower, thyme liqueur and Champagne. Limoncello supplies the sunlit citrus familiar to southern Italy, while gin and thyme add botanical structure. Champagne gives the drink a finer, more vinous effervescence than the customary prosecco.
The Pesca Dolce takes the menu into softer territory with Juliette heirloom peach liqueur, lemon, mint and Champagne. Peach provides the ripe summer center, while lemon and mint prevent the combination from drifting too sweet. It is the most immediately approachable of the four, but its herbal and acidic elements keep it connected to the aperitivo tradition.
Funke’s food gives the drinks a reason to linger. Bar Avoja serves spuntini—shareable plates influenced by Roman street food—including sfincione all’aglione, the chef’s garlic-rich focaccia, and frittatina alla Norma made with rigatoncini, eggplant, tomato, basil and mozzarella di bufala. Grilled octopus skewers arrive with salsa rustica, while the Wolfgang tops a thin, crisp pizza with smoked salmon, herb cream and trout roe.
Behind Mother Wolf’s grand dining room, Bar Avoja offers a darker counterpoint: red seating, low lighting, gilded details and the feel of a private Roman salon after hours. The room is theatrical, but the spritz menu remains precise and approachable.
For more information visit motherwolfla.com/bar-avoja/
When: Saturday, August 1; 6 p.m. till close
Address: 1545 Wilcox Ave., Los Angeles
Photo credits: Photo courtesy of Bar Ajova
