Spritz to the top: How a 107-year-old aperitif became a $900m hit

Stroll past a restaurant patio on a hot day, and you'll witness a dizzying swirl of radiant orange, sparkling concoctions sipped from oversized wine glasses.

That's no coincidence. It's an Aperol spritz world, we're just living in it.

Once a quaint regional Italian liqueur, Aperol has catapulted to the top of menus thanks to aggressive marketing and remarkable synchronicity, per The Wall Street Journal.

A splash of history

The Aperol spritz's origin traces back to early 19th-century Northern Italy:

• Austrian soldiers would allegedly spritzen or "splash" the region's strong wines with soda water.
• 1860: Campari becomes a hit in parts of Italy.
• 1919: Luigi and Silvio Barbieri introduce Aperol, a low-alcohol, orange aperitif — soon popular in spritzes.
• 1950s: Aperol markets its spritz with Prosecco and a splash of soda water.
• 2003: Campari Group purchases Aperol for ~$160m.

Campari repositioned the Aperol spritz as a fashionable cocktail, swapping the traditional rocks glass for a branded wine glass and olive garnish for an orange slice. To make the Aperol spritz universally consistent, the company promotes a memorable 3-2-1 recipe: three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, and one part club soda.

Campari Group put its considerable might behind Aperol, first expanding across Europe, then the US in 2017.

To introduce the Aperol spritz to more drinkers, Campari staged branded experiences at festivals like Coachella, offering free samples and merch.

The company also launched Campari Academy with free training for bartenders, who helped promote the drink.

It worked:

• Aperol hit $900m in sales last year
• Saw a 65% increase on US menus since 2022
• Comprises 26% of Campari Group's sales
• There are 60m Aperol spritz's served annually to 1.5B today
• Campari sold 8.8m cases of Aperol globally in the past 12 months

The Aperol spritz boom also benefited from several serendipitous factors:

• Since 2009, Prosecco sales have climbed every year, outselling Champagne and offering an affordable, spritz-friendly option. 
• The drinks ~9% ABV aligns with the growing appeal of low-alcohol drinks and the daycap.
• The vibrant drink became a regular on TV and social media.

But Aperol isn't alone

Global spritz consumption went from 2.5B servings in 2019 to nearly 4B in 2024. While Aperol commands the lion's share, competitors like the St. Germain-based Hugo spritz are growing.

To maintain its edge, Campari has rolled out the Aperol spritz in cans and on tap, plus the hot-pink Sarti spritz.

So, even if you're not an Aperol spritz fan, they ain't going anywhere anytime soon — at least if Campari has a say.