Aperol Aperitivo by Fratelli Barbieri

Product of: Italy

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Aperol is a bittersweet low-alcohol aperitivo liqueur made of an infusion of herbs, citrus fruits and roots to a recipe that remains unchanged since it was created in Padova, Italy, in 1919.

The Barbieri Company, which makes Aperol, was established in 1891 by Giuseppe Barbieri in Padua, Italy, to produce and market a wide range of liqueurs. The company's most famous and enduring product, Aperol, was especially created in 1919 by his two sons, Luigi and Silvio for the Padua International Fair, a large exhibition attracting international visitors held in their hometown.

Silvio Barbieri named Aperol after the French word for apéritif, 'Apéro', which he had learned on a recent trip to France and seemed appropriate for their new bitter-sweet liqueur.

This spirit-based aperitivo's unique flavour and orange colour derive from a secret infusion of 16 ingredients, including bitter orange essence, gentian, cinchona bark (quinine), and Chinese rhubarb. The majority of herbs and roots used come from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, and the recipe remains unchanged since it was first created in 1919. Aperol does not undergo any aging process and is ready to be bottled immediately after blending.

The concept of making an aperitif with an alcohol content of only 11% was revolutionary, and perhaps a little before its time, as it did not take off and became a major success until after the Second World War.

In 1991, the Barbieri Company was acquired by Ireland's C&C International, but their tenure was short-lived, and in 2003, Gruppo Campari purchased Barbero and with it Aperol. Gruppo Campari has continued to build Aperol, and today, it is enjoyed by over 3.4 million Italians and is commonly available across Europe and North America.

In 2011, Gruppo Campari repackaged Aperol and stepped up international marking of the popular Aperol Spritz, its signature cocktail.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 30/01/2025

Appearance:

Clear, pale orange-crimson.

Aroma:

Pink grapefruit and orange zest with herbal-scented strawberry jelly and vanilla.

Taste:

Pleasantly bittersweet with zesty orange, delicate bitter herbal undertones, faint woody notes and salinity.

Aftertaste:

Zesty orange with grapefruit and strawberry, finishing with lingering lightly bitter herbal notes.

Overall:

As Italian aperitivo liqueurs go, Aperol is on the sweet side of bittersweet. "Poco alcolico" on the old label translates as 'low alcohol'-it is, and Aperol is also mellow in style, giving it broad appeal and versatility as a cocktail ingredient.