Nigella in a tizz over Aperol fizz
She says trendy drink tastes just like Tizer
IT HAS risen in popularity to be one of the world’s most fashionable aperitifs.
Go into any trendy bar and it is almost certain someone will be sipping on an Aperol spritz.
But the bittersweet cocktail with a distinctive orange glow is clearly not to everyone’s taste.
Indeed, the summer favourite has been derided by Nigella Lawson, the high priestess of home entertaining.
She agreed with critics of the drink, a mixture of Aperol – an Italian aperitif made from gentian and rhubarb – and the sparkling wine prosecco, comparing it to the old-fashioned fizzy children’s drink Tizer.
Miss Lawson, 59, sparked an angry response from Aperol fans when she supported a New York Times article that insisted it was ‘not a good drink’.
Referring to another children’s favourite, the article likened Aperol spritz to ‘Capri Sun after soccer practice on a hot day. Not in a good way.’
Pitching herself firmly inside the anti-Aperol camp, Miss Lawson tweeted on Thursday: ‘I agree with @ NYTimes. Why would anyone have a Tizer-like Aperol Spritz when you could have a Campari Soda or even an Americano?’
The TV chef’s comment divided her fans, with some describing the Aperol spritz as ‘summer evenings in a glass’ and ‘ beautifully refreshing’ while others remarked that it tasted like medicine or petrol.
Aperol was created in Italy 100 years ago but it has become popular in the UK in recent years.
Benedict Cumberbatch describes it as his favourite drink and the Duchess of Sussex was reportedly seen sipping on an Aperol spritz while with Prince Harry in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 2017.
However, the tipple was described as ‘out’ last year by Tatler, which said: ‘It has returned to Italy, where it will continue to be consumed in pretty little piazzas after its brief sojourn in the UK.’
British sales of the aperitif, which is made by Campari, continue to increase, however, rising by 27 per cent in the first quarter of last year. For anyone yet to try it, to make an Aperol spritz pour two parts Aperol, three parts prosecco and a dash of soda into a glass containing ice cubes. Garnish with a slice of orange.