🥃 Aperol

Aperol is the orange Italian aperitif behind the Aperol Spritz. It is a bitter aperitif (aperitivo) created in 1919 in Padua by the brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, and since 2003 it has belonged to Campari Group, which acquired it through the purchase of Barbero 1891. Aperol is 11% ABV, so under EU rules it is not a spirit drink: that category requires at least 15%.

According to the brand's history, the brothers worked in their father's liqueur company and experimented with the recipe for seven years. After the war the drink became popular across Italy, especially in the cafés of Padua and the bars of Venice. In the 1950s the recipe that made the Aperol Spritz popular was created, and the first Aperol television commercial was “Il Carosello”. After Campari Group acquired the brand, it received stronger advertising and became more international; in 2019 the brand marked its centenary.

The exact recipe is kept confidential. According to the producer, the key ingredients are orange, gentian root and cinchona, and the drink is an infusion of fruit, herbs and roots.

Aperol is most often mixed with prosecco and soda water to make an Aperol Spritz. The recipe certified by the International Bartenders Association is three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda water; according to the brand, an Aperol Spritz is 9% ABV.

Why it matters to you. Aperol and Campari are often confused: both are Italian bitter aperitifs from the same group, but Aperol is weaker (11% ABV) and orange, while Campari is deep red. Low strength does not make a drink safe: a spritz also adds the alcohol of the sparkling wine. The WHO states that there is no form of alcohol consumption that is risk-free.