#Spritzlife had a moment. The boozy, bright orange drinks were recently so popular that The New York Times bashed them.
Aperol spritzes — which have been popular in Italy for years — bubbled to popularity in America thanks to an ad campaign run by the Campari Group, which owns Aperol.
But it didn’t take long for the spritz hangover to set in
After Aperol sent the Campari Group’s stock price up more than 360% over the past few years, stock prices slumped 15% between May and October, largely due to waning interest in the cocktail.
And now, the race to mix up the next hot #cocktail is on…
And a number of corporate mixologists are getting involved in the search for the next trendy booze brand.
Campari bought Aperol in 2003, but Aperol’s brand dates back to 1919. Campari leaned heavily on nostalgia when marketing Aperol to American drinkers, a signal that Aperol’s successor may also be a legacy booze brand.
Here are some vintage, lower-alcohol liquor brands that could pitch themselves as “the next Aperol”:
- Lillet, a French aromatic wine-based aperitif that dates back to 1872, is owned by beverage giant Pernod Ricard.
- Dubonnet, a French herbal tonic-wine brand that dates back to 1846, is favored by the Queen and also owned by Pernod Ricard.
- Fernet-Branca, an Italian herbal liqueur brand that dates back to 1845, is still privately owned by the Branca family.
Now, only time will tell which of those drinks will be giving you a hangover next summer…
