Aperol is an Italian bitter apéritif made of gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona, among other ingredients. It has a vibrant orange hue. Its name comes from the French slang word for aperitif, which is apero.
Aperol was originally produced by the Barbieri company, based in Padua, but is now produced by the Campari Group. While Aperol was originally created in 1919, by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, it did not become successful until after World War II. Although it tastes and smells much like Campari, Aperol has an alcohol content of 11%—less than half that of Campari. Aperol and Campari have the same sugar content, and Aperol is less bitter in taste. Campari is also much darker in color.
Aperol sold in Germany has an alcohol content of 15% to avoid German container deposit legislation regulations.
The Spritz, an aperitif cocktail, is often made using Aperol. The result is known as the Aperol Spritz. Another variant is the Aperol Sour.