Aperol Spritz

"The official drink of golden hour."

At a Glance

Trend Rank	#3 Most Iconic & Consistently Trending
Vibe	Bright · Social · Effortless · Italian Sunshine
Strength	Low (approx. 8–11% ABV)
Best For	Happy hour · Brunch · Outdoor gatherings · Weddings
Skill Level	Easy — no shaking required

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Flavor Profile

Opens bright and citrusy, with Aperol's distinctive orange-herbal bitterness. The Prosecco adds lift and a gentle wine sweetness. Finishes clean, refreshing, and pleasantly dry — built for sipping at golden hour.

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Ingredients

Classic Recipe — The 3-2-1 Rule (1 serving)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Prosecco	90 ml / 3 oz	Dry or extra-dry; never brut — it will clash with Aperol's sweetness
Aperol	60 ml / 2 oz	The iconic Italian bitter orange apéritif
Soda water	30 ml / 1 oz	A splash to lift and lengthen

Classic ratio: 3 parts Prosecco : 2 parts Aperol : 1 part soda

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Instructions

1. Fill a large balloon wine glass with 2–3 large ice cubes.
2. Pour the Prosecco first — this prevents it going flat when Aperol is added.
3. Add Aperol — watch the gorgeous sunset cloud billow up through the bubbles.
4. Top with a splash of soda water.
5. Stir gently once or twice — just enough to combine without losing carbonation.
6. Garnish with a half-wheel of orange and, optionally, a single pitted green olive on a cocktail pick.
7. Serve immediately.

Pro tip: Always add Prosecco before Aperol. The effervescence from the wine helps integrate the Aperol without needing heavy stirring, preserving those beautiful bubbles.

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Glassware & Presentation

Glass: Large balloon wine glass (the bigger the better for ice and garnish) Serve: On the rocks — ice is essential to the identity Temperature: Very cold — pre-chill the glass or use plenty of ice Garnish: Orange half-wheel + optional green olive on a pick

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The Story

The Aperol Spritz traces its roots to the Veneto region of northern Italy in the early 20th century, where local winemakers would dilute their strong wines with water (spritzen in German — a nod to the region's Austro-Hungarian influence). Aperol itself was created by the Barbieri brothers in Padua in 1919, though the Spritz combination didn't truly arrive until the 1950s.

For decades it was a quietly beloved Italian ritual — the pre-dinner aperitivo. Then in 2005, Campari Group (which acquired Aperol in 2003) launched an international campaign codifying the 3-2-1 formula and the rest is history. By the 2010s it had become the visual shorthand for "summer." By 2025 it remains one of the top 5 most ordered cocktails globally, beloved for its low ABV, extreme photogenicity, and the fact that it requires zero bartending skill.

In 2026, bartenders are riffing on the format with Hugo Spritzes, Mezcal Spritzes, and bitter-forward amaro versions — but the classic holds court.

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By the Numbers

Metric	Data
Aperol global sales rank (Campari Group)	#1 product worldwide since 2019
TikTok hashtag views (#aperolspritz)	1.8B+
Instagram posts	10M+
Countries where it's top-5 ordered	25+
Average bar price (US, 2025)	$13–$18

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Quick-Reference Card

APEROL SPRITZ  (The 3-2-1)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Prosecco     90 ml  (3 parts)
Aperol       60 ml  (2 parts)
Soda water   30 ml  (1 part)

→ Build in glass over ice
→ Add Prosecco first, then Aperol, then soda
→ Stir once gently
→ Garnish: orange half-wheel + green olive
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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Variations

Variation	Twist
Hugo Spritz	Swap Aperol for elderflower liqueur (St-Germain); add fresh mint
Campari Spritz	Use Campari instead for a drier, more intensely bitter version
Cynar Spritz	Use Cynar (artichoke amaro) for an earthy, umami twist
Mezcal Spritz	Add 15 ml mezcal for smokiness and depth
Peach Aperol Spritz	Add 20 ml peach nectar for a summer-ripe sweetness
Spicy Spritz	Add 2–3 slices of jalapeño for the "swicy" trend

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Pairing Suggestions

• Food: Light charcuterie, olives, bruschetta, prosciutto and melon, fresh ricotta crostini
• Occasion: Pre-dinner aperitivo, outdoor brunches, garden parties, Sunday afternoon
• Music vibe: Mediterranean house, Bossa Nova, Italian indie pop

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Explore More

Looking for the alcohol-free version? The NA Aperol-Style Spritz captures the same bitter-orange, effervescent character with zero alcohol. For more on drinking intentionally — low-ABV culture, mindful choices, and the case for slowing down — visit Mindful Drinking.

See the zero-proof version NA Aperol-Style Spritz ↔

Share on social

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• #prosecco
• #happyhour
• #orangecocktail
• #therapeuticcocktails