An abbot's revenge on a bishop: the unknown origin of Aperol

A glass of Aperol Spritz on the terrace of the Hotel Majestic, right on Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia, costs 20 euros. Ordering this orange drink at the Nui Beach beach bar on Calella costs 9 euros. At the Blackberry cocktail bar in Lleida, a glass costs 7.50 euros. The Aperol Spritz has long since made its way onto the menus of Catalan bars and restaurants. It's trendy, and that's why the price fluctuates so much from place to place.

It's an alcoholic aperitif made with two parts cava or sparkling wine, combined with two parts Aperol and a splash of soda. But above all, it's elegant and distinctive. At least, that's the image the Campari group has cultivated through its advertising.

The Spanish subsidiary of the Italian brand, headquartered in Barcelona, ​​has been generating revenues of more than €30 million annually for years, primarily from the sale of its flagship brand: Aperol. Worldwide, in 2023, the beverage generated more than €2.9 billion. So, what is its origin and how long has it been on the market?

A clerical dispute

Aperol consumption in Catalonia began to spread two decades ago. It was precisely when the Campari group invested 150 million euros to buy the Barbero 1891 company, a historic Irish alcoholic beverage group. Until then, Aperol was only consumed annually.

However, Campari executives were clear that the formula could become a hit everywhere, as it's low in alcohol and refreshing, two of the consumer trends that were pointing to an upward trend. All they needed was a strong advertising push to ensure that, between 2004 and 2019, Aperol sales grew by an average of 16.5% each year. Little by little, the drink took root in the United States, but also in countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and Austria.

However, the origin of this multi-million-dollar concoction lies in an unusual clerical dispute between an abbot and a bishop. To understand it all, we must go back to the end of the 18th century, in Venice. The protagonist, Abbot Giuseppe Barbieri, was an eccentric, strong-willed, freemason, liberal, and close friend of Ugo Foscolo, one of the key writers of Italian Romanticism and considered the father of the modern Italian novel. Barbieri was dazzled by the promise of freedom and progress he saw in the figure of Napoleon.

However, when the French leader ceded the Republic of Venice to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1797, he viewed it as a betrayal. With Austrian support, the Church gradually regained power, but Barbieri's ideals did not fit at all with the conservative model of the Bishop of Padua. Therefore, the bishop forbade him to become abbot of the Praglia Abbey, citing political reasons.

To avenge this decision, he revealed to his nephew the recipes for the liqueurs distilled by the Benedictine monks. Armed with the monastic recipe book, the nephew set up the first alcoholic beverage factory in 1805.

The discovery of Aperol

The company was passed down from father to son. In 1918, the business was run by two brothers: Luigi and Silvio Barbieri. During the First World War, Luigi had to undergo surgery to have a lung removed.

During his recovery, in the middle of spring, he would take leisurely walks in the mountains every day and collect flowers, herbs, and berries. At home, he would kill time by chopping and boiling them. He eventually came up with a very light and flavorful liqueur. He shared his discovery with Silvio, and together they added it to the catalog. The name was inspired by the French word implement, which in the jargon of the Belle Époque meant appetizer. They registered the secret formula in Padua.

In the 1950s, the company passed into the hands of the two brothers' descendants, who skillfully managed the business: Aperol sales continued to grow. By 1980, sales had peaked in Italy, and they accepted a takeover offer from the Seagram Group, which tentatively began to export the drink. However, in 1991, Aperol passed into the hands of the Irish company Barbero 1891. However, it wasn't until 2003, with the purchase by the Campari Group, that Aperol gained popularity—and sales—all over the world.