Liqueurs

Aperol

Aperol is an Italian bitter aperitivo, 11% ABV on its maker’s site, orange-led and gently bitter. Aperol says the recipe is secret; The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, names chiefly cinchona, rhubarb and gentian among its bitter barks and roots. Aperol says the brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created it in 1919. At 11% it misses the 15% a liqueur needs under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, 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 in Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, so sold as an aperitivo

OriginPadua, Italy

Flavour Strengthlight

SeasonSpring / Summer

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

Storage

We store sealed bottles in a cupboard away from light and, once opened, capped in the fridge.

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 infused blend of fruit, herbs and roots, bright orange, made to a recipe its maker keeps secret; the Oxford Companion, a secondary source, names chiefly cinchona, rhubarb and gentian among the bitter barks and roots. It is not a vermouth, which the retained aromatised wine regulation reserves for wine with alcohol added and a taste drawn from wormwood, and at 11% ABV it misses the 15% minimum for a liqueur, so it is sold as an aperitivo.

Eleven per cent sets what it can do

Averna runs to 29% ABV on a UK wholesaler’s listing, and Campari to 25% on another. At 11%, Aperol is close to wine strength, and its maker puts a finished Aperol Spritz at 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 (strengths from Aperol’s own site and LWC’s UK listing; categories from Regulation (EC) No 110/2008; the Aperol build is Aperol’s own recipe, the Campari build and the keeping times are ours)

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

Aperol’s own recipe builds the 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 Aperol advises on its own site. 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% we keep it 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

Aperol’s own history says Luigi and Silvio Barbieri created it in their father’s liqueur company in 1919, after seven years of experiment, and that it caught on with young adults in the cafés of Padua and the bars of Venice. Aperol’s own history also records its acquisition by Gruppo Campari, after which the Aperol Spritz took it international.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is Aperol?

An Italian bitter aperitivo, bright orange and 11% ABV by Aperol’s own figure, made from an infusion of fruit, herbs and roots. The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, names chiefly cinchona, rhubarb and gentian. Aperol’s own history dates it to 1919 and the Barbieri brothers, and records its acquisition by Gruppo Campari.

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 by Aperol’s own figure, roughly wine strength. A 60ml pour is about two thirds of a UK unit. Aperol gives an Aperol Spritz as 9% ABV once the prosecco and soda are in, so the long drink is gentler than the bottle.

Is Aperol a spirit?

No. At 11% ABV it is far short of the 37.5% that Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 sets for gin, vodka and rum, and short of the 15% any spirit drink, a liqueur included, must reach. Aperol calls it an aperitivo, and in strength it belongs with wine, not gin or vodka.

Is Aperol a vermouth?

No. Under Regulation (EU) No 251/2014, vermouth is an aromatised wine, at least 75% wine and 14.5% ABV, with alcohol added and its taste drawn from wormwood. Aperol, on its own site, is an aperitivo at 11%, not 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, Aperol says. It speaks of fruit, aromatic herbs, roots and woods, with citrus peel to the fore, and the Oxford Companion, a secondary source, names chiefly cinchona, rhubarb and gentian among the barks and roots. Aperol calls the colour another secret altogether, so nothing official says what gives the orange.

How long does Aperol last once opened?

We keep an open bottle about two to three months, capped and chilled. At 11% by Aperol’s own figure it has less than half the alcohol of Campari at 25% on LWC’s UK listing, so in our experience the orange fades sooner on a warm shelf. Unopened, in a cool dark cupboard, we keep a bottle 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 and less bitter of the two, as the Oxford Companion, a secondary source, notes: 11% ABV by its own figure against 25% for Campari on LWC’s UK listing. Choose Aperol for a long spritz or a soft sour, and Campari where a drink needs real bitterness and enough body to match gin.

Sources.

Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.

Aperol, “Frequently Asked Questions”.
Aperol, “Aperol History: Together since 1919”.
Aperol, “Aperol” (producer’s product page and tasting notes).
Aperol, “How to make Aperol Spritz”.
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (David Mahoney), “Aperol” (secondary source: introduced in 1919 by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri in Padua; oranges and bitter barks and roots (chiefly cinchona, rhubarb and gentian); less bitter and lower in alcohol than Campari; 11 to 15% ABV depending on market).
LWC, “Averna Amaro 70cl” (UK wholesaler listing: Alcohol By Volume 29%; producer Campari UK; full body and smooth taste).
LWC, “Campari 70cl” (UK wholesaler listing (25% ABV; producer given as Campari UK); Campari publishes no UK ABV).
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (retained)”.
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Article 2 (retained)”.
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 251/2014, Annex II (retained)”.
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 251/2014, Article 3 (retained)”.

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 19 October 2026

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