What’s behind the spritz boom?
As the UK gears up for National Spritz Day on Friday, the spritz surge shows no signs of slowing down, with riffs on the Aperol classic surging in popularity at Greene King sites. This marks a key chance for innovation, says the pubco’s drinks category director.
Spritz sales have skyrocketed across Greene King’s sites, reflecting the importance of “being agile as a business”, the operator’s drinks category director told the drinks business.
National Spritz Day will take place this Friday (1 August). Operators are jumping on the trend, with Simmons Bars and ASK Italian offering spritzes throughout summer at £3 and £5 respectively.
Greene King, which has a total of 2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across in its portfolio, reported a sharp rise in spritz sales, which accounted for nearly half of cocktails sold in the past month.
Spritz serves made up 45% of cocktail volume, up 12% compared to the same period last year (16 June-14 July). Aperol Spritz continues to lead the category as the nation’s favourite, accounting for 21% of cocktail sales and 58% of spritzes.
Longer, lighter drinks
Speaking to the drinks business, Danny Ayton, Greene King drinks category director, said: “This growing trend reflects customers’ desire for longer, lighter drinks that provide extra refreshment over the hotter months, although we can also see that spritz drinks provide great sales opportunities all-year round.
“With Aperol Spritz leading the cocktail category and experiencing continued growth, there is an opportunity to innovate with spritz flavours and encourage customers to experiment more in this space.”
Due to the surge, the pubco is launching riffs on the classic, like Limoncello Spritz, onto menus.
Revamping the Aperol classic
Another remix, Hugo Spritz, saw a significant boost with over 300% growth year-on-year, highlighting customers’ desires to try new spritz flavours outside of the classics within this growing drinks category.
Huge Spritz, made from elderflower liqueur, Prosecco and soda water, was dubbed “the new Aperol” when it went viral on TikTok in 2023.
While spritz cocktails have indeed been trending for the last few years, Ayton was interested in the steady increase in demand.
The popularity of Hugo Spritz “truly surpassed expectations”, for example. The tipple was added to a selection of pubs a few years ago, before being rolled out across Greene King’s estate.
For Ayton, its success represented a chance for operators to experiment with drinks menus to encompass a wide range of fresh flavours alongside the iconic Aperol.
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Why spritz?
He said the swathe of June heatwaves had a key part to play in prompting punters to seek refreshment with lighter and longer mixed drinks. But there are other refreshing tipples associated with warm weather. Gin & tonic is one, and white wine is another. What makes spritz so special?
“While white wine will always hold a deserving spot on the drinks menu, spritz cocktails are perceived to be a more elevated drinks option when served with ice and a garnish, and they still offer the refreshing taste that many associate with a chilled glass of white wine,” explained Ayton.
He added that the spritz success reflected the importance of “being agile as a business and adapting to changing customer trends throughout the year”.
He said: “While we can certainly see opportunities to elevate our drinks offering across our formats, it’s crucial that we have a strong understanding of our audiences and tailor our menus to best suit our customers, taking into account the varying demographics and tastes that we cater to in our pubs.”
Pimm’s, the perfect pour
Sales of another summer classic Pimm’s were high, with Pimm’s by the glass up by over 100% and sharing jugs of Pimm’s up by over 50%.
Greene King is also seeing a growth in its Provence rosé sales in particular, as customers choose to trade up for more premium quality.
White Zinfandel remains its top-volume rosé category seller; however, it is the Creation Côtes de Provence Rosé, sold exclusively in Greene King, driving category growth, up 30% year-on-year.
For instance, at the Suffolk-based operator’s more value-led venues, many customers sought more classic cocktail options, with serves such as Sex on the Beach seeing strong growth.
Tequila takes the crown
“Another key trend that we are tapping into is tequila,” Ayton continued, “which is an extremely versatile spirit that is experiencing growth within the cocktail category.
“We have noticed continued consumer demand for the classic Margarita cocktail, as well as increasing interest in other tequila-based options, including the Paloma and a Tequila and Tonic, which provide light and fruity alternatives and open the door to more flavour experimentation.”
At Greene King, the appetite for iced beverages, such as coffee, is also on the up. Its family-focused branch, Hungry Horse, is leading the way on chilled beverage trends.
Over the four weeks (16 June to 14 July), iced drinks have accounted for 16% of total beverage volume in Hungry Horse venues. Iced coffee alone is up 125% year-on-year, with caramel emerging as the most popular flavour.
The limited-edition summer milkshake range (Salted Caramel, Strawberry, White Chocolate & Vanilla) has also landed strongly, contributing 7.7% of total beverage volume.
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