'White Lotus' Is Helping to Make Aperol Spritz Cool in the US

July 13, 2024

If you've watched HBO's most recent series of "The White Lotus," filmed in Sicily, chances are that you'll have spotted the bright orange cocktail that features in almost every episode, and which sent Redditors into a spin trying to figure out what it is.

The famous Italian cocktail, known as Aperol Spritz — which is part Italian bitter apéritif Aperol, part prosecco, part club soda, and garnished with a slice of orange — has been a popular drink in Europe for decades.

According to Campari, the maker of Aperol, the apéritif is gaining market share in the US, in part because of its repeated appearances in "The White Lotus."

"If you look at White Lotus, which is a key Netflix TV series, you'll see so many orange glasses – the Aperol perfect serve throughout every single show ... That clearly is having an impact," Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Campari Group, said in a call with investors on Tuesday.

Kunze-Concewitz misspoke in saying the show is on Netflix, as it is broadcast by HBO, where 4.1 million Americans tuned in to watch the season finale in December.

"We feel very good, and we expect to see a very nice acceleration in the US this year, and we're going to continue on this, because clearly, it's highly profitable," Kunze-Concewitz added.

Campari Group, which also owns Campari and Espolòn tequila among other brands, said in its 2022 annual results on Tuesday that Aperol is one of its biggest areas of growth in the US.

Aperol Spritz has often been seen as a divisive drink. In 2019, The New York Times published an article titled: "Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink" where Times writer Rebekah Peppler compared "the Instagram-friendly" drink to "a Capri Sun after soccer practice on a hot day." And, "not in a good way," she said.

Despite being somewhat divisive, Aperol's presence in the US is growing. Aperol sales, which account for 22% of Campari's total portfolio, grew by nearly 50% in the US in 2022.

Campari isn't the only business to see a boost from what has been dubbed as "The White Lotus" effect. According to the travel app Hopper, searches for Sicily flights and hotels increased by 50% during the time the show aired at the back end of 2022.

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