Aperol Spritz

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What Is an Aperol Spritz?

The Aperol Spritz combines bright orange Aperol, crisp Prosecco, and a splash of soda water into a low-ABV, sunset-colored aperitivo that has become one of the most recognizable warm-weather drinks in the world. It's bittersweet, effervescent, and easy-drinking rather than boozy, built to be sipped slowly before a meal rather than downed quickly. As the original template for the modern spritz category, it sits at the root of an entire family of riffs on the site, including the Limoncello Spritz and the whiskey-based Bourbon Spritz.

The History of Aperol and the Spritz

The spritz format itself dates back to 19th-century Veneto, in northern Italy, where Austro-Hungarian soldiers and diplomats stationed in the region found the local wines too heavy for their taste and began "spritzing" — German for splash — a bit of soda water into their glasses to lighten them. Italians eventually made the format their own, and Aperol entered the picture in 1919, when brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri unveiled the liqueur at the International Trade Fair of Padova after roughly seven years of experimentation building on the liqueur company they'd inherited from their father, Giuseppe Barbieri. Its exact recipe — bitter and sweet oranges, rhubarb, gentian, cinchona bark, and a blend of herbs and roots — has remained a closely guarded secret ever since, according to Aperol's own account of its history. Aperol's low alcohol content and bright, approachable flavor made it a natural fit for the spritz format, and by the mid-20th century the Aperol Spritz had become a fixture of Italian aperitivo culture. Its global explosion is much more recent: aggressive marketing and social media exposure through the 2010s turned the drink from a regional Italian favorite into arguably the defining cocktail of the decade, with Aperol itself celebrating its centenary in 2019, an anniversary marked in detail by Campari Group's coverage of Aperol's 100 years, as one of the best-selling aperitivo liqueurs on earth.

What Does an Aperol Spritz Taste Like?

Aperol brings bittersweet orange flavor up front, with hints of rhubarb and a faint herbal bitterness that keeps it from tasting like straight orange soda. Prosecco adds crisp acidity, fine bubbles, and a touch of stone-fruit sweetness that balances Aperol's bitter edge, while a splash of soda water lightens the whole drink further and keeps the alcohol content low. The overall effect is refreshing and only mildly bitter — approachable enough for drinkers who find Campari-based cocktails too intense, but still distinctly grown-up rather than sweet or fruity. The finish is dry and clean, with the orange and rhubarb notes lingering longest.

How to Make an Aperol Spritz

Fill a large wine glass with ice, then pour in 3 oz Prosecco, 2 oz Aperol, and a splash of soda water, in that order. Stir gently just once to combine without losing too much carbonation from either the Prosecco or the soda water. Garnish with a fresh orange slice or wheel, tucked into the glass so its oils release gradually as the ice melts. The classic ratio — three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, one splash of soda — is designed to keep the drink low in alcohol and easy to sip over a long aperitivo hour rather than a quick round. That same ratio-driven, soda-lengthened structure carries over to the site's Sparkling Wine Spritzer and Apple Cider Spritz, both built around the same low-effort, low-proof principle.

Popular Variations

Aperol's success has inspired an entire category of spritz variations built on the same low-ABV, soda-lengthened format. The Negroni Sbagliato swaps Prosecco in for gin in a classic Negroni, creating a drier, more bitter spritz-style drink built on Campari rather than Aperol. For drinkers who want a lighter, citrus-forward alternative, the site's own Limoncello Spritz swaps Aperol for lemon liqueur, while the Bourbon Spritz takes the same low-ABV, bittersweet template and rebuilds it around American whiskey instead of Italian liqueur.

Glassware, Garnish, and When to Serve It

A large stemmed wine glass, sometimes called a balloon glass, is the traditional serve, giving the drink plenty of room for ice and allowing its bright orange color to show through. An orange slice or wheel is the standard garnish. It's an aperitivo through and through — meant to be sipped slowly before dinner to stimulate the appetite, though its low proof and easy-drinking character have made it just as popular as an all-afternoon patio drink, occupying similar warm-weather territory to fruit-driven spritzes like the site's Bellini or the more playful Cherry Limeade Spritz.

Why the Aperol Spritz Became a Global Phenomenon

Few cocktails have achieved the near-universal recognition the Aperol Spritz enjoys today, and its rise from regional Veneto aperitivo to worldwide summer staple says a lot about what modern drinkers want: something low-alcohol, visually striking, and easy enough to make at home with just three ingredients. Its bittersweet orange flavor is distinctive without being polarizing, and its bright color has made it a natural favorite for photos and social sharing, accelerating its spread well beyond Italy's aperitivo culture. More than a century after the Barbieri brothers first unveiled it in Padova, the Aperol Spritz remains the drink most people picture when they hear the word "spritz" — a rare case of a single brand becoming shorthand for an entire category.