• When does a fashion become a habit written in stone? The question arises for the spritz, a drink still presented as a trend while it has squatted our terraces and summers for eight years.
  • Because contrary to its reputation as an ephemeral, the spritz provides the CV of lasting success.
  • Where other drinks lasted only one summer before disappearing from the radar and aperitifs, will the spritz one day become an old of the old cocktails, mojito or Moscow mule style?

2016. The summer France vibrates around only two passions: Antoine Griezmann and grapefruit rosé. If the first one still regaled us with a master class at the 2022 World Cup (except in the final), the fruity wine has long since deserted our aperitifs, relegated to the rank of ephemeral fashion a little shameful alcoholic Tecktonik way. It is an understatement to say that we expected more or less the same fatal fate to the spritz, also author of a hype a year earlier.

From 10,000 liters sold in France 2011, the Italian drink increased to 750,000 liters in 2015. Since then, the beverage has never lost this reputation as a fad or trend of the moment. But here we are already in 2023, eight years after the spritz-mania, and Aperol, far from having disappeared, continues to color the terraces in the summer.

Autopsy of the spritz

Whether you love it or not - within the editorial staff of 20 Minutes, we know that the subject divides - you might as well get used to it: the bugger seems to be here to stay. In 2023, it even entered the top 10 most drunk cocktails in the country, according to a study by out-of-home consumer experts CGA with panelist Nielsen. A durability that is not surprising when you embark on the autopsy of the spritz, which has a lot of elements of lasting success.

"The sparkling cocktail has always worked well in France," notes Clémentine Hugol-Gential, professor and specialist in contemporary food issues at the University of Burgundy. 18% of French people like this kind of mix, compared to only 9% of Spaniards for example, says Julien Veyron, director of client solutions at CGA-France. Another well-known success for Clémentine Hugol-Gential: the bitter taste, a real current hype - it had already been addressed for chocolate or IPA beer.

The power of terraces

To praise the orange drink, it is difficult to compete with the verve of Sylvain Greiner, director of operations of Eataly, temple of Italian gastronomy in Paris. "The spritz is perfectly adapted to the current consumption of youth: light and terraced. It is not a cocktail that knocks out or that we will take in a nightclub, as can be the mojito. You can take a spritz and be well after, which makes it possible to take a second one and make the moment last", especially since the spirit is often cheaper than a classic cocktail - and bulkier. We come back to the pleasure of strolling for hours on terraces Dolce Vita version. "The spritz has an unbeatable pleasure/price ratio!" enthuses Sylvain Grenier. In high season, this drink alone represents 20% of the alcoholic consumption of his establishment.

It is enough to a grain of sunshine to see orange glasses bloom. And precisely, the very colorful aspect also explains its success. "It catches the eye, is very Instagrammable and attracts curiosity. A spritz can be spotted," notes Clémentine Hugol-Gential. That's good, according to the CGA-Nielsen study, the image of the cocktail can motivate the choice of a drink during outings for 30% of consumers. "We find this aspect in the Moscow mule, with a metal glass that detonated in the bars," recalls Sylvain Greinier.

Colours and the city

Curiosity about this new colorful drink has been at the heart of Campari's strategy, the key brand for the Venetian drink's comeback. The technique is honed, and now well informed: launch the spritz in the trendiest bars of a city center, wait for the hype to rise in the other neighborhoods, then extend it to the whole municipality. No wonder that the typical profile of the spritz aficionado is a young urban between 18 and 35 years old with a slightly above average income, according to Julien Veyron: "They are individuals determined to consume outside and have fun. " Another strength of the cocktail to settle in time: it is unisex. Count 55% female consumers, and 45% men.

The madness of terraces and out-of-home consumption - the CHR (café, hotel, restaurant) - boosts all cocktails, develops the expert: "Beer has not recovered its 2019 volumes, where cocktails and spirits have exceeded their pre-pandemic performance. " CHR sales have been driven by young people since the Covid-19 crisis, who are less fans of pints.

The "simplest cocktail in the world"

This damn coronavirus, we always come back to it. "It can partly explain the success of the spritz," says Sylvain Greinier. While terraces and bars were paused, "the spritz remains the simplest cocktail in the world to make at home". Mix three ingredients - at affordable prices - and voila's (for the two at the bottom that do not follow: a slice of orange, Aperol, prosecco and sparkling water)*.

Still, the pandemic now seems far away, and that this month of May well tristoune weather level until then has finally remembered that it had the right to have a bright blue sky and a bright sun. The spritz is about to sweep on a new summer, the ninth in a row. Just look at the bar maps to be convinced, the drink now has its place alongside mojitos and other cocktail game darons. "Just like the mojito, the spritz now has cards entirely of its own, where it comes in various versions: the classic Aperol, the Saint-Germain, the Limoncello... ", lists Julien Veyron. "And then, the grapefruit rosé, it was really disgusting," says Louise, who sips her spritz on the terrace. Perhaps we should have started there.

*We remind you that alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health.

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