An Orange
Birthday Splash
Aperol Turns 100
An infusion of bitter and sweet oranges. A secret mix of herbs
and roots. Up to 30 ingredients. Aperol, the bright orange aperitif commonly served as a spritz, is 100 years old and ageing well.
Aperol and Apertivio Time
Aperol was launched in 1919 in northern Italy, after seven years of experimentation by the Barbieri brothers, Luigi and Silvio, who inherited a liqueur company from their father in 1912. The recipe is apparently unchanged since 1919.
Sweet and slightly bitter on its own, Aperol Spritz – the 3:2:1 combination of 3 parts Prosecco (another Italian delight), 2 parts Aperol and 1-part soda water – became popular in the 1950’s and is even more so today. It’s an easy cocktail to make. Start with ice and add the 3:2:1 in this order to stop the Aperol from settling at the bottom of the glass. Finish with a slice of orange or green olive and enjoy!
Aperol is low in alcohol (11%), except in Germany where it’s 15% (a single use deposit is charged on bottles under 15% alcohol by volume). Aperol Spritz is about 8% alcohol by volume - it is so refreshing making it quite quaffable. Sit down for an aperitif anywhere and pair the Aperol Spritz with friends and food. Try tasty appetizers – such as bruschetta with goat cheese, honey and walnuts, or tomatoes, olives and basil, or smoked salmon, crème fraiche and capers, or prosciutto, ricotta and fig, the list of great toppings goes on! Or, as in Italy, Aperol Spritz is often served simply with green olives and salty potato crisps at aperitivo time. Saluté.
Aperol Popularity Grows
Once sold mostly in Northern Italy, Aperol has grown up and starting in the 1980’s expanded its splash. Acquired by Gruppo Campari in late 1990’s, the company has recently seen double digit increases (28% in 2018) in Aperol sales overall with key markets being Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland while the United States is also a fast growing new market (now the brand’s third largest market by value). Sales of Aperol have taken off as aperitifs and cocktails are now increasingly popular, particularly with younger drinkers, and international advertising campaigns linking art, fashion and lifestyle with Aperol have caught attention. A search of Google lists over 8,180,000 links connected to Aperol.
Aperol Spritz' Birthday Bash
Gruppo Campari is taking the summer-only season out of Aperol and creatively marketing Aperol Spritz as a year-round drink. Think pop-up bars on ski slopes in Europe and Aperol branded DJ parties in winter holiday locales to showcase its potential. The Aperol Spritz Big Birthday Bash in London for 8 days in May 2019 created an Italian poolside experience with an orange waterfall, an orange slice float, a ride on a revolving Aperol carousel bar, an Aperol 100 Italian car hot tub, and seating in a giant Aperol Spritz glass-shaped ball pit for you and your friends. Imagine the Instagram and selfie opportunities.In addition, the company is introducing Aperol as a drink for new occasions, not just at the traditional time for aperitifs as part of its strategy to increase its sales.
Aperol Tasting Notes
Striking clear orange colour; sweet orange, marmalade with light herbal and floral notes on the nose; mandarin orange, orange and grapefruit peel, candied orange and herbal, rhubarb on the palate. Slightly syrupy with a short and smooth finish. Of course the taste changes with a Spritz.
Try both!
