Grape & Grain | The rise of the Aperol spritz and the three best places in Hong Kong to drink the aperitivo
An Italian concoction of prosecco, soda and bitters, the Aperol spritz became popular in the 1950s, and with Aperol now Manchester United’s official spirits partner, interest continues to grow
There are few obvious links between the former Austrian Empire and Manchester United, but they do have the Aperol spritz in common.
The drink is an Italian institution, and Italy’s tradition of spritz cocktails as aperitivos dates back to the intermittent Austrian occupation of the Veneto region between 1797 and 1866.
The Austrians had a taste for wine mixed with carbonated water, a drink still internationally known as a spritzer. The Venetians adopted it, and its popularity spread throughout Italy with various adaptations along the way. Among those were the substitution of prosecco for still wine, and the addition of Italian bitter liqueurs such as Campari and Aperol to the mix.
In recent years, the Aperol spritz in particular has become internationally popular as a summer aperitivo, partly because it is refreshing and easy to make, but also because it has benefited from the support of some serious marketing muscle – which is where Manchester United enters the picture.
Aperol is “official global spirits partner” of the world’s highest-earning soccer club, the sort of association that requires the kind of money Gruppo Campari has splashed out since acquiring the brand in 2003, when it bought Barbero 1891 which created and owned the Aperol formula.