The Barbieri brothers spent seven years testing the recipe, which is still secret; the spritz that made it famous only appeared in the 1950s
Aperol was born in 1919 in Padua, in northeastern Italy, created by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri at their father's liqueur company. According to the brand's official website, the recipe came out of seven years of experimentation, between 1912 and 1919.
The novelty was the alcohol content. According to Campari Group, which owns the brand, the Barbieris launched the idea, revolutionary for its time, of an aperitif with only 11% alcohol, a strength Aperol still keeps. The word aperitivo comes from the Latin aperire, to open, in the sense of opening the appetite, the brand notes.
The recipe is secret and, according to Campari, has not changed since its creation: it is an infusion of herbs and roots. Aperol's website mentions selected fruit, aromatic herbs, roots and woods, with citrus peel leading on the nose, a hint of vanilla and a bitter, herbal finish. The source of its orange color is also kept secret.
In the postwar period and the years that followed, Aperol became popular all over Italy, especially among young adults in Padua's cafés and Venice's traditional bars. The Aperol Spritz recipe that made the drink famous only appeared in the 1950s, the era of Carosello and the brand's first TV commercial. In the 1980s and 1990s, its marketing gained international reach.
In 2003, Aperol joined Campari Group's portfolio, which kept strong advertising behind the spritz and took the drink to more countries. Today the brand's top markets are Italy, Germany and Austria, according to the group.
The recipe approved by the International Bartenders Association (IBA), according to the brand, is three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda water: 75 ml, 50 ml and 25 ml. It goes in a large glass, with ice and an orange slice; in the most traditional version, it also gets an olive. The brand recommends adding the ice last, because prosecco poured straight onto ice loses its fizz. The Bebidário catalog includes Mionetto Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut and other Campari Group aperitifs, such as Campari and Cynar.
Sources: Aperol (official website, October 11, 2026), Campari Group (official website, October 11, 2026).
