Aperol Spritz

Created in Padua in 1919 using Aperol — a low-alcohol bitter orange liqueur developed by the Barbieri brothers — the Aperol Spritz became Italy's best-selling cocktail by 2019 with 10.5 million bottles of Aperol sold. The simple three-ingredient formula (Aperol, Prosecco, soda water with an orange slice) captured the Italian "aperitivo hour" spirit and sparked a global spritz obsession. It is now 40% cheaper to make than the average classic cocktail, and Instagram posts featuring the Aperol Spritz grew 300% between 2020 and 2023.