Aperol Spritz in Kenya: What It Is, Why Everyone Is Ordering It and How to Make It at Home

Aperol Spritz in Kenya: what it is, why everyone is ordering it and how to make it at home

You have probably seen it by now. A large wine glass. Ice. A distinctly vivid orange liquid topped with something fizzy and a slice of orange sitting on the rim. The person holding it looks entirely at ease with their afternoon. That is an Aperol Spritz — and it is arriving on Nairobi's bar menus, rooftop terraces and home entertaining scenes with the quiet confidence of something that has been the most ordered drink in Italy for the better part of a decade.

If you have not tried one yet — or if you have tried one and want to understand what you just drank — this is the guide you need.

Where it comes from: a 100-year Italian story

Aperol was created in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers in Padua, northern Italy — a region in the Veneto where the aperitivo tradition, the pre-dinner drink ritual that defines Italian social life, has been practised for centuries. The name comes from the French word "apéro," a casual shortening of apéritif — a drink designed to open the appetite and ease the transition between the working day and the evening meal.

The Aperol Spritz as a cocktail format emerged from the Veneto's longstanding tradition of mixing wine with soda water to make it lighter and more refreshing — a practice that dated back to the 19th century when Austrian soldiers, stationed in northern Italy, began diluting local wines to match the lighter drinking style they were accustomed to at home. Aperol replaced the wine. Prosecco replaced the still water. And the modern Aperol Spritz was formalised into the recipe the world now knows.

In 2003, Aperol was acquired by Campari Group — the Italian spirits conglomerate that has since grown the brand from a regional Italian staple into the world's most recognised aperitif. Today, the Aperol Spritz is the best-selling cocktail in Italy and one of the most ordered cocktails globally.

What Aperol actually is

Aperol is an iconic Italian bitter aperitif made from gentian, rhubarb and cinchona, among other ingredients. Its vibrant orange hue and unique bitter-sweet taste make it the defining ingredient of the Aperol Spritz — Italy's most beloved cocktail.

The flavour profile is the thing most first-time drinkers are surprised by. Aperol is simultaneously sweet and bitter — a combination that should not work as well as it does but becomes immediately logical once you understand what it is designed for. The gentian root provides the pleasant bitterness. The rhubarb adds a fruity, slightly tart edge. The cinchona — the bark that also gives tonic water its characteristic bite — adds depth and length. 

Together, they produce a flavour that is refreshing rather than heavy, appetite-opening rather than filling. At 11% ABV, it sits comfortably below most wines — light enough for an afternoon, interesting enough to return to.

The orange colour is entirely natural — a result of the botanicals themselves rather than artificial colouring.

The recipe: how to make it properly

The Aperol Spritz is one of the few genuinely iconic cocktails with a standardised, universally agreed recipe. It does not require a cocktail shaker, specialised equipment or technique. It requires the right ratio and the right glass.

The classic Aperol Spritz — serves 1

3 parts Prosecco (approximately 90ml)
2 parts Aperol (approximately 60ml)
1 splash of soda water
A generous handful of ice
1 orange slice to garnish

Method: Fill a large wine glass generously with ice. Pour the Prosecco first — this prevents the carbonation from being disrupted by pouring it last. Add the Aperol. Add a short splash of soda water. Stir gently once — no more. Garnish with a slice of fresh orange, ideally on the rim or resting in the glass.

The Prosecco-first approach is important. The signature cocktail combines Aperol, Prosecco and soda water in a ratio of 3:2:1, garnished with an orange slice — and the order of pouring maintains the carbonation and the colour layering that makes the drink as visually striking as it tastes. 

A few notes on the build: Use a large wine glass rather than a cocktail glass — the surface area matters for the ice and the garnish. The Prosecco does not need to be expensive. A clean, dry Brut or Extra Dry works best — something with too much sweetness will tip the balance. Soda water is essential, not optional — it lifts the drink and reduces the sweetness of the Aperol to its correct level. Do not over-stir. One gentle revolution is enough.

Why it works particularly well in Nairobi

The Aperol Spritz is a drink engineered for warm afternoons, outdoor settings and the kind of social occasion where you want something interesting in your hand without committing to a heavy spirit. Nairobi — with its year-round mild climate, growing rooftop and outdoor dining scene and an audience increasingly attentive to what is in their glass — is almost exactly the environment the drink was designed for.

Its low ABV makes it the natural choice for a long Sunday afternoon at a rooftop bar, a first drink at a dinner party or a weekend brunch where you want to pace the day sensibly. Its visual identity — the vivid orange, the oversized glass, the ice and the orange garnish — has driven significant social media visibility globally, which is part of why it is appearing on Nairobi menus now. 

But the drink earns its place beyond the photograph. It is genuinely refreshing, genuinely interesting and genuinely versatile in a way that cements it as more than a trend.

How to build it at home: what you need

Aperol is now available in Nairobi through multiple online delivery platforms. Oaks & Corks stocks Aperol 700ml with delivery across Nairobi in under 30 minutes, available via M-Pesa Express, VISA and cash on delivery. Soys Kenya carries the 750ml bottle at KES 3,200 with nationwide delivery. Drinks Vine and Drinks Zone also stock it in both 750ml and 1-litre formats.

For the Prosecco, most Nairobi supermarkets and wine shops carry accessible options — look for Italian Prosecco DOC rather than generic sparkling wine for the closest result to the original. Soda water is universally available.

The full build — Aperol, Prosecco and soda water — costs less than a single Aperol Spritz at most Nairobi rooftop bars and produces four to five drinks per bottle of Aperol. It is one of the most cost-effective premium cocktail experiences you can create at home.

Where to order it in Nairobi right now

Aperol Spritz is appearing with increasing regularity across Nairobi's premium bar and restaurant scene. Karel T-Lounge in Gigiri is among the venues where guests have specifically called out the Aperol Spritz in reviews — described as part of a strong cocktails programme in a setting perfect for a Sunday afternoon. 

Cave à Manger in Karen, with its Italian-influenced menu and thoughtful drinks list, is a natural fit. The rooftop bars covered in our earlier guide — Sarabi at Sankara, INTI at One Africa Place, Attic Rooftop at Park Inn — are all venues where the drink works naturally and where the visual setting completes the experience. 

The easiest ask is simply to check the cocktail menu. As Aperol's availability in Kenya improves, the bars making it well will become increasingly easy to find.