The Bar Journal

In the global drinks conversation, few drinks have travelled as widely, or as quickly, as the spritz. Often framed as a “summer trend,” it has been replicated, reinterpreted, and commercialised across markets. But in doing so, something important has been lost in translation. Because the spritz was never just a drink, it’s part of the Italian cultural ritual of aperitivo.

Beyond the Glass. Understanding the Aperitivo Culture

To understand the spritz, you have to look beyond the glass. It is not simply a combination of flavours. Its true identity is shaped by something less tangible but far more meaningful, the time of day, setting, pace, and company. In Italy, the spritz belongs to aperitivo, a moment that exists between day and evening, work and leisure. It is unhurried and intentional, a pause rather than a peak. This is what transforms the spritz from a serve into an experience.

From Summer Trend to Year-Round Lifestyle

Globally, the spritz has often been positioned as a seasonal staple, synonymous with terraces, sunsets, and the height of summer. While this framing has helped drive its popularity, it has also limited its potential. Today’s consumers are shifting away from high-intensity, late-night drinking toward something more balanced, including daytime occasions, lower ABV serves, and more mindful, experience-led consumption. Within this context, the spritz is not a fleeting trend but a format perfectly aligned with how people increasingly want to drink.

Premium spirits such as ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto and SAVOIA Vino Aperitivo are helping to reshape this narrative. With its bright, citrus-forward profile, ITALICUS brings a refined elegance to the spritz, offering a lighter, more aromatic interpretation that feels both modern and rooted in heritage. SAVOIA, on the other hand, introduces depth and complexity, with its bittersweet character or amaro-dolce, lending itself to a more contemplative, sophisticated serve. Together, they demonstrate the versatility of the spritz as a canvas for flavour, mood, and occasion.

In this context, the spritz is not a fleeting trend. It is a format that aligns perfectly with how people increasingly want to drink. Brands like ITALICUS have played a key role in evolving this narrative, introducing a more refined, citrus-forward profile that brings elegance and versatility to the aperitivo occasion.

Modern Drinking Habits

This evolution sits within a broader cultural shift. Modern consumers are not just choosing drinks; they are choosing moments. The rise of hosting culture, tablescaping, and social sharing reflects a growing desire to create experiences that feel intentional and memorable. Drinking, in this sense, is no longer just about what is in the glass, but about the context that surrounds it.

Within this landscape, the spritz plays a unique role. It is visually distinctive, effortlessly served, and inherently social. It adapts seamlessly across occasions, from casual gatherings to more curated moments, enhancing rather than dominating the experience. A spritz made with ITALICUS might bring brightness and lift to a sunlit afternoon, while one crafted with SAVOIA could anchor a more refined early evening setting. In both cases, the drink becomes part of the atmosphere rather than the focus of it.

Reframing the Opportunity for Drinks Brands

For the drinks industry, the opportunity is not to make the spritz bigger, but to understand it better. This requires a shift in perspective, from product to ritual, from season to lifestyle, from serve to experience. Spring offers a natural entry point into this reframing, not as a campaign moment, but as a cultural one. It is a time when behaviours change organically, when people begin to gather again, and when the spritz becomes the center of the table. 

A Ritual Worth Preserving

In a category often driven by novelty, the enduring power of the spritz lies in its simplicity. It invites pause, encourages connection, and reflects a way of living rather than just a way of drinking. 

The brands that recognise this will not chase the trend. They will become part of the ritual.

And that is where the true value of the spritz lies, not in how far it travels, but in how deeply it is understood.

Salute!