‘It’s the meaning of happiness’: How the Aperol spritz took over the summer

Simplicity itself … Aperol is less bitter than Campari and easy to make. Photograph: RooM the Agency/Alamy

For the second summer running, women with places to go and bling on all their fingers have heralded the sunshine with fizzing orange manicures: Aperol spritz nails.

“It is refreshing and puts you in a good mood,” wrote one journalist after the actor Zendaya posted an apricot-tipped selfie last year, listing the many ways (ombré, glowing, pastel, arty, French, jelly, hearts and floral) you might follow suit. “I went for the brightest orange they had,” said one TikToker last month, prepping for a girls’ weekend away. “Welp,” replied a bedazzled follower, “now I want an aeperol [sic] spritz.”