Move over Aperol, there’s a new spritz in town. In fact, our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have found 13 aperitifs they’d recommend stocking up on.
Best aperitifs 2023
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Best honey-flavoured aperitif
Beesou Honey Aperitif
Read more
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Whether you choose to pair your drink of choice with charcuterie and cheeseboards, olives, or simply a bowl of crips, Italy’s aperitivo hour is a time to celebrate the end of a long day and catch up with friends before dinner.
We’re defining a spritz as a pre-dinner tipple with a bitter edge, topped up with sparkling wine, a splash of tonic or soda water. Typically finished with a simple garnish such as an olive or orange slice, they’re as simple to mix as your beloved G&T.
How we test aperitifs
Our panel — made up of 10 WSET-accredited experts and consumers — sipped their way through 14 aperitifs. Each was made according to the brand’s signature serve and served blind to avoid brand bias. The experts were looking for easy drinking co*cktails, with a clean finish and balanced bittersweet profile.
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Best non-alcoholic aperitif
Crodino Alcohol Free
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Best non-alcoholic aperitif
Crodino Alcohol Free
Score: 83/100
Despite being non-alcoholic, Crodino came out top of our aperitif taste test. Campari’s teetotal Italian spritz wowed testers with its well-balanced, bittersweet botanicals and lingering citrus flavour.
To serve, simply pour over a generous amount of ice and pair with antipasti and cheese for a taste of la dolce vita.
Key specifications
| Volume | 3 x 175ml |
|---|---|
| ABV | 0% |
| How we served | 175ml Crodino, slice of fresh orange |
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Runner-up aperitif
Lanique Spirit of Rose Liqueur
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Runner-up aperitif
Lanique Spirit of Rose Liqueur
Score: 79/100
Made from rose essence (which, gram for gram, is more valuable than gold!), Lanique is a pretty pink drink, with the taste of Turkish delight. Aside from rose, you can expect notes of fresh cucumber, lemon verbena, raspberry and aloe vera, with a hint of black pepper.
It’s great served with champagne, or with tonic and prosecco, garnished with a cucumber ribbon.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 39% |
| How we served | 12.5ml Lanique spirit, 50ml tonic, 25ml prosecco, cucumber ribbon |
Score: 78/100
The iconic Aperol Spritz still proved popular with our panel, with its crowd-pleasing bright orange hue, herbal aniseed flavour and low-key bitterness. At 11% ABV it’s a lovely low-strength option for day-time drinking throughout the festive season. It’s very easy to make; all you need to remember is the 3:2:1 method — meaning three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, and one part soda water. Simple!
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 11% |
| How we served | 75ml prosecco, 50ml Aperol, a splash of soda water, slice of fresh orange |
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Best honey-flavoured aperitif
Beesou Honey Aperitif
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Best honey-flavoured aperitif
Beesou Honey Aperitif
Score: 77/100
Beesou's wine-based blend is made from British honey, hence its eye-catching yellow hue. Best enjoyed as a spritz, the distinctive flavour has lovely raw honey at its core, pepped up with citrus zest, and festive spice.
What's more, 10% of all profits are donated to the charity, Bees for Development, an organisation working to alleviate poverty through beekeeping.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
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| ABV | 11% |
| How we served | One part Beesou, two parts sparkling wine, in a large wine glass, over ice, topped with a slice of grapefruit |
Score: 77/100
Getting rave reviews from drinks professionals and our testers alike, this Italian aperitivo displays a grassy freshness, with menthol, cherry blossom and almond at its heart. It’s super complex, smooth and velvety — and we think a must-have for any bar cart.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 16.5% |
| How we served | A splash of club soda and a slice of orange |
Score: 77/100
Although similar in many ways to Campari (below), Select has a much gentler ABV (17.5% vs Campari’s 25% ABV), which allows for the amaro to “pop” out of the glass more intensely.
It’s the star ingredient in a Venetian spritz, a simple but impactful serve of three parts prosecco, two parts Select and one part soda, served over ice and garnished with a green olive.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 17.5% |
| How we served | Three parts prosecco, two parts Select, splash of soda, one large green olive |
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Score: 76/100
Milano’s Campari is the poster girl of Italian aperitivo hour and is one of the most versatile bottles in our drinks collection. With nearly 70 botanicals, it’s incredibly complex, with woody spices and smokey bitterness, lifted by citrus notes.
Dry and delicious, a slice of orange is a must, whether served in a sbagliato, or a classic negroni.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 25% |
| How we served | 75ml prosecco, 50ml Campari, a splash of soda water, slice of fresh orange |
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Best English aperitif
Aker English Rosé Aperitif
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Best English aperitif
Aker English Rosé Aperitif
Score: 73/100
Not content with Italy having all the fun, Aker has created an English aperitif, made with rosé from English wine producers Chapel Down and homegrown botanicals, including the obligatory wormwood.
The result is Turkish delight syrupy sweetness, with lively summer berries and hints of fresh herbs. Serve with a sprig of mint and a juicy strawberry to garnish.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 17% |
| How we served | 50ml Aker Rosé , 25ml Chapel Down sparkling bacchus, 12.5ml soda water, fresh strawberries to garnish. |
Score: 73/100
With an injection of grapefruit and hibiscus, this Venetian aperitif offers a lovely new layer to the traditional spritz. Testers described it as “the perfect pre-dinner drink”, thanks to a well-balanced combination of tropical fruit and bitter herbs.
Key specifications
| Volume | 75cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 18% |
| How we served | 50ml Venice Aperitivo, 50ml sparkling white wine, add over ice and a splash of soda, garnish with an orange wedge |
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Best Spanish spritz
El Bandara Al Fresco Aperitif
Score: 71/100
El Bandara has done most of the hard work for us here, with a tipple ready to be served over ice alongside a splash of tonic and a wedge of orange. The blend of grenache wine with liquorice, mint, rose petals and lemon zest lends a harmonious balance of bittersweet to each sip. Just add tapas for an authentic taste of Spain.
Key specifications
| Volume | 1L |
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| ABV | 14% |
| How we served | 25ml El Bandara Al Fresco, 50ml tonic, olive |
Score: 70/100
Fragrant bergamot is a citrus native to southern Italy, and it forms the base for this intriguing liqueur. Other botanicals featured include chamomile, lavender and lemon balm, resulting in a fresh flavour that’s similar to Campari, but a little lighter, more floral and sweet.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
| How we served | One part Italicus, two parts sparkling wine, one green olive, ice |
Score: 70/100
We love the vintage Italian branding on this bottle, which perfectly encapsulates its traditional flavour. It’s not quite as bitter as others on test, which should appeal to those with a sweeter tooth, and is best served with prosecco and a slice of orange.
Key specifications
| Volume | 1L |
|---|---|
| ABV | 13.5% |
| How we served | 25ml Contratto, 50ml prosecco, ice, orange slice |
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Sommer Rhubarb & Raspberry Aperitif
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Sommer Rhubarb & Raspberry Aperitif
Score: 70/100
Made with a blend of raspberries and rhubarb, Sommer's Yorkshire-made aperitif is sweet and jammy, with a delicious earthy note coming through from the 36 botanicals the fruit is paired with.
And while it's not overly complex, we think it's a crowd-pleasing serve that those with a sweet tooth will enjoy immensely.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 11% |
| How we served | Three parts prosecco, two parts Sommer, one part soda |
Tested byMaga Flores-Trevino
Senior Food and Drink Tester
Maga Flores-Trevino is our Senior Food and Drink Tester and has a real love for food innovation, specialising in new and upcoming vegan and vegetarian products as well as baked goods. Previously, she worked as a Food and Reviews Writer at BBC Good Food and olive magazines, testing and writing about hundreds of new products. She also covered taste tests, food and drink awards, restaurant reviews and food business and charity interviews. Before that, she was studying French and Italian at the University of Oxford. Her career in the industry started as a food team member at various hospitality events, volunteering in the kitchen at Homeless Oxfordshire and as a writer and editor of the food and drink section at The Oxford Student newspaper.
