The spritz, and its most popular variant, the Aperol Spritz, have European origins and took many decades to become established as favourite tipples in Australia. The original spritz was just a splash of water in a glass of wine (spritzen being the German word for splash), apparently invented in the 1880s when soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian forces found Italian wines too strong.

At some point, people began adding other liqueurs to their spritzes and topping them up with Prosecco and sparkling water. Aperol was invented in Padua, Italy, in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers, Luigi and Silvio, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that the Aperol Spritz emerged in the Veneto region. The classic proportions are three parts of Aperol, two parts of Prosecco (also local to the Veneto) and one part of soda water. Although it quickly became popular in Italy, the drink wasn’t widely known internationally until the Aperol brand was purchased by the Campari company in 2003.

Aperol was first sold in Australia in the 1970s. It was served as an aperitif at Melbourne’s famous Cafe di Stasio in the late 1990s and, in 2001, was described in The Sydney Morning Herald as a bitter aperitif from Italy with a distinctive, spicy orange flavour. “Add a dash to chilled gin for an exotic martini or serve with plenty of ice and fresh grapefruit juice,” they recommended. No mention of a spritz.

I had my first Aperol Spritz in 2016, at a bar in Launceston, Tasmania. At that time, it was likely just beginning to make an impact on the cocktail crowd. The following year, sponsorship of the Australian Open tennis tournament lifted its profile, with punters queuing up at Club Aperol for the bright orange drink. The sponsorship arrangement has continued, with the association extending to the many warm-up events as well as the Open itself.

Despite this, in 2020, Drinks Digest reported that:

Aperol Spritz may be a hit with the Insta-crowd, but it’s still far from a household name in Australia. An IRI Shopper Panel Survey has revealed the drink has low awareness with consumers – only 11% of respondents had seen Aperol Spritz in the Australian market.

Since then, our love affair with the spritz has blossomed. While Aperol Spritz remains the top seller (and the eighth most popular cocktail in the world as of 2024), other spritzes are gaining ground. The Limoncello Spritz and the Hugo Spritz (with elderflower liqueur) are the main challengers. You can invent your own. All it takes is your choice of liqueur, topped up with Prosecco and soda water. Add your favourite garnish.

If all that measuring and mixing is too difficult, there are now many premixed spritzes. Aperol launched theirs in Australia in 2021. But for something different, you might want to sample the Squealing Pig Squealini Spiced Apple Pie Spritz. Liquor merchant Dan Murphy’s describes it as:

…an indulgent apple and cinnamon spritzer with aromas of sweet baked apples, vanilla custard, cinnamon, clove, and ginger. The palate is full and creamy, with the taste of apples, pears, and spice, finishing clean and crisp with a hint of preserved lemon.

Whatever floats your boat. I think I’ll keep coming back to the Aperol.  Cheers.