The spritz has outgrown its status as a summer special. Australian spritz sales have grown 49 per cent in dollar value year on year, according to figures cited by Campari Group Australia, and two new launches show where the category is heading. Aperol has put a ready-to-serve Aperol Spritz in a 750ml bottle, with Australia the first market to get it, and Vella Vita has brought the Hugo Spritz to independent bottle shops in cans and bottles. For venues, both are a signal worth reading.
Two launches, one direction
The Aperol Spritz 750ml bottle holds the aperitif, prosecco and soda already mixed. Drinkers simply add an orange. It went on sale nationally from 7 October at a recommended retail price of $30, and is pitched at sharing and gatherings. Campari Group Australia managing director Jacopo Borsa describes it as a way to enjoy those social moments at home.
Vella Vita Hugo Spritz, from Divas Beverages, follows the same logic with a different flavour. Hugo combines elderflower, sparkling wine, soda and mint, and the pre-mixed version arrived in September in select independents. A 4 x 250ml pack at 9 per cent alcohol by volume is priced at $24.99, and a 750ml bottle at $19.99. The supplier cites industry research putting the global spritz category at $2.8 billion, growing 14 per cent annually and forecast to reach $6.2 billion by 2030. It also says Hugo is beginning to appear on drinks menus across Australia.
Why spritzes suit your bar
Spritzes are popular with customers and with operators. Hospitality consultant Scott Elliott, a former NielsenIQ managing director, is quoted by Drinks Digest describing the spritz as three ingredients, built in the glass, needing no specialist skill and quick to serve at peak times. He says it looks like a premium cocktail but is one of the easiest and most profitable drinks on the menu, because the soda and prosecco dilute the cost while the price sits in the cocktail tier.
Aperol’s Australian momentum is real. Campari Group reported that its Australian sales rose 7 per cent in 2025, helped by double-digit growth in the Aperol franchise. The brand has also been named Official Spritz of the Australian Open for the third year running, with Terrazza Aperol at Melbourne Park, showing how a drink can become part of the Australian summer calendar.
The risk and the opportunity
The bottle also creates a visible price comparison. A $30 retail bottle shows customers what a shared spritz costs at home, so venues need to justify what they charge by the glass. That means better glassware, quality garnish, good ice and friendly service. It also means offering something home drinkers cannot easily replicate, such as a house twist or a seasonal flavour.
A shareable format
Offer a shareable format. If a bottle is made for groups, consider a carafe or jug of spritz for tables, aimed at afternoon sessions, birthdays and beer garden bookings. It lifts order value and is easy to batch.
Add a second spritz. Hugo is early on Australian menus, so an elderflower or limoncello option gives regulars something new and costs little to train.
Keep service simple at peak. Pre-batching or serving on tap speeds things up, and Campari Group chief executive Simon Hunt has said the company plans to spread Aperol on tap during key peak-season events.
Watch responsible service. A can of Vella Vita at 9 per cent is close to two standard drinks, higher than a classic spritz, so make sure staff know the difference and keep responsible service front of mind.
Finally, match menu timing to the season. Feature spritzes from late October through summer, when launches such as these will be pushing awareness of the category.
Sources
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Drinks Trade, “Aperol introduces its first ready-to-serve 750ml Bottle” — https://www.drinkstrade.com.au/news/aperol-introduces-its-first-ready-to-serve-750ml-bottle/
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Drinks Trade, “Europe’s hottest spritz arrives in Australia” — https://www.drinkstrade.com.au/news/europes-hottest-spritz-arrives-in-australia/
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Drinks Digest, “Why the world can’t get enough of this spritz” — https://drinksdigest.com/2026/03/12/why-the-world-cant-get-enough-of-this-spritz/
