Liqueurs

Aperol

Aperol is an 11% ABV Italian bitter aperitivo, orange-led and gently bitter, made to a secret recipe that includes gentian, rhubarb and cinchona. The brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created it in Padua and first sold it in 1919. At 11% it is too weak to be a liqueur in UK law and sits at wine strength, which is why it suits a long spritz rather than a short stirred drink.

Quick Facts

ABV11% ABV

Legal categoryBelow the 15% minimum for a liqueur, so sold as an aperitivo

OriginPadua, Italy

Flavour Strengthlight

SeasonSpring / Summer

Our keeping timeTwo to three months in the fridge once opened.

Storage

Sealed bottles in a cupboard away from light; once opened, capped and refrigerated.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Aperol

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Bitter-orangeCitrusHerbalSweet

Tasting Notes

Citrus peel on the nose, then a hint of vanilla and bittersweet orange, with a lasting herbal, bitter finish.

What goes into Aperol

Aperol is an infusion of fruit, herbs and roots, sweetened and coloured a bright orange. The company keeps the recipe secret; gentian, rhubarb and cinchona are the ingredients usually named. It is not a vermouth, a category reserved for wine aromatised with wormwood, and at 11% ABV it misses the 15% minimum for a liqueur in UK law, so it is sold as an aperitivo.

Eleven per cent sets what it can do

Averna runs to 29% ABV and Campari to 25%. At 11%, Aperol is close to wine strength, and its producer puts a finished Aperol Spritz at about 9%. That strength is why a spritz can be a long, light drink, and also why Aperol cannot hold up a short stirred drink the way Campari can: it lacks the alcohol to carry the sugar.

Aperol and Campari side by side

Strength (UK)

Aperol: 11% ABV
Campari: 25% ABV

Legal category

Aperol: Aperitivo, under liqueur strength
Campari: Liqueur

Leading flavour

Aperol: Orange, rhubarb
Campari: Bitter herbs, orange peel

Bitterness

Aperol: Gentle, at the finish
Campari: High, throughout

Spritz build

Aperol: 75ml prosecco, 50ml Aperol, 25ml soda (producer)
Campari: 90ml prosecco, 60ml Campari, 30ml soda

Once opened

Aperol: Two to three months in the fridge
Campari: A year or more, sealed

	Aperol	Campari
Strength (UK)	11% ABV	25% ABV
Legal category	Aperitivo, under liqueur strength	Liqueur
Leading flavour	Orange, rhubarb	Bitter herbs, orange peel
Bitterness	Gentle, at the finish	High, throughout
Spritz build	75ml prosecco, 50ml Aperol, 25ml soda (producer)	90ml prosecco, 60ml Campari, 30ml soda
Once opened	Two to three months in the fridge	A year or more, sealed

Three, two, one

The producer builds its spritz from 75ml of prosecco, 50ml of Aperol and 25ml of soda, finished with orange. Our Aperol Spritz keeps the same balance at 90ml, 60ml and 30ml, about 1.7 UK units. A Brut prosecco keeps it fresh; the sweeter Dry and Demi-Sec styles make it cloying.

Beyond the spritz

Shaken, it can take a spirit's place. The Aperol Sour builds 60ml of it with lemon juice and sugar syrup, and stays under one UK unit. In the Paper Plane it shares four equal 30ml parts with bourbon, lemon and Amaro Nonino, and in the Division Bell and the Naked and Famous it partners mezcal at 22.5ml.

Using it

Using Aperol

Usage

Long, first of all: three parts prosecco, two of Aperol, one of soda, which our Aperol Spritz pours as 90ml, 60ml and 30ml over ice. Shaken, it takes the spirit's place at 60ml in the Aperol Sour and an equal 30ml share in the Paper Plane.

Pro Tip

Chill the Aperol, the prosecco and the soda before you build, as the producer advises. Cold liquid melts less ice, so the spritz stays colder and holds its bubbles longer.

Top Tips

Fill a wine glass right up with ice; a spritz with too little warms and loses its fizz halfway down.
Refrigerate the bottle once opened; at 11% it lasts two or three months, not years.
In a shaken drink pour it as a full measure, not a dash; it is too light to season.

Possible Substitutions

Campari: Over twice the strength and far more bitter; a different drink
Sweet Vermouth: With orange bitters: workable, not equivalent

Production Method

Fruit, herbs and roots, gentian, rhubarb and cinchona among them, infused, sweetened and coloured orange; 11% ABV. The recipe is not disclosed.

History & Context

Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created Aperol in their father's liqueur company in Padua and launched it in 1919, after seven years of experiment. Its producer says it caught on with young drinkers in the cafés of Padua and the bars of Venice; the spritz later carried it abroad. Campari Group owns it now.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is Aperol?

An Italian bitter aperitivo, bright orange, made from an infusion of fruit, herbs and roots including gentian, rhubarb and cinchona, and bottled at 11% ABV. The Barbieri brothers brought it out in 1919, in Padua, and Campari Group owns it now. The Aperol Spritz made it famous.

What does Aperol taste like?

Orange first. Its producer describes citrus peel on the nose, a hint of vanilla and a bittersweet palate with a lasting herbal, bitter finish. It is much sweeter and gentler than Campari, and the bitterness arrives at the end rather than from the first sip.

How strong is Aperol?

11% ABV in Britain and most other markets, roughly wine strength. A 60ml pour is about two thirds of a UK unit. The producer gives an Aperol Spritz as about 9% ABV once the prosecco and soda are in.

Is Aperol a spirit?

No. At 11% ABV it is far short of the 37.5% that most spirits must reach in UK law, and short of the 15% a liqueur needs. It is sold as a bitter aperitivo, and in strength it belongs with wine, not gin or vodka.

Is Aperol a vermouth?

No. Vermouth must contain at least 75% wine, take its taste from wormwood and reach 14.5% ABV. Aperol is an orange bitter aperitivo at 11%, not sold as a wine, and it does the job of a red bitter such as Campari, only lighter.

What is Aperol made from?

The full recipe is secret. Its producer speaks of fruit, aromatic herbs, roots and woods, with citrus peel to the fore, and published accounts name gentian, rhubarb and cinchona among them. The colour is added, and the company treats that as a secret too.

How long does Aperol last once opened?

About two to three months, capped and chilled. At 11% it has far less alcohol protecting it than Campari, so the orange fades sooner on a warm shelf. Unopened, in a cool dark cupboard, a bottle lasts for years.

What is the Aperol Spritz ratio?

Three parts prosecco, two of Aperol, one of soda. The producer's measures are 75ml, 50ml and 25ml, served over plenty of ice in a large wine glass, garnished with orange; ours scale up to 90ml, 60ml and 30ml. Keep the proportions and the ice whichever size you make.

Should I use Aperol or Campari?

Aperol is the lighter of the two: 11% ABV against 25%, sweeter, and led by orange and rhubarb where Campari leads with bitter herbs. Choose Aperol for a long spritz or a soft sour, and Campari where a drink needs real bitterness and enough body to match gin.

From the Guides

Aperol and Campari compared

Make something

Made with Aperol

Featured In These Cocktails

Paper Plane Aperol Spritz Aperol Sour Division Bell Naked and Famous Spiced Sangria

Often Used With

Updated 12 October 2026

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