LONDON – It’s a warm summer’s day, you’re walking down a little side street in Rome, and suddenly, a sense of thirst hits you – what’s the first cocktail that comes to mind?
Naturally, a beautifully crafted Aperol spritz on the rocks with a slice of orange. This is what United Airlines aims to do just in time for summer.
Bring to its customers a taste of la dolce vita to their seat even before the wheels touch down in Rome.
United Airlines has recently announced a partnership with Spritz Society premium sparkling cocktails to offer canned Aperol spritz on its flights and selected US-based lounges.
To promote the new collaboration, what better way than offering the drink on flights to the motherland of the orange drink?
The airline will be offering the cocktails complimentary onboard selected flights to Italy. On May 6, seasonal flights between Chicago and Milan Malpensa will see the first debut of the canned drink, followed shortly by New York Newark to Rome Fiumicino on May 26.
Customers will also have the chance to enjoy the bright cocktail selection at the nominal cost of US $2 at Chicago O’Hare and Newark United Clubs locations during the first month they’re available onboard from these airports.
Aperol Spritz, a cocktail customarily consumed with a light snack before lunch or dinner, originates in Veneto in the late 1800s.
The cocktail and its variations have been famous in Italy for many years and only recently has started to gain momentum overseas in the past five years.
The cocktail is synonymous with the sweetness of doing nothing, an art that is genuinely mastered by Italians.
Luca Bondar, United Airlines Vice president for Marketing and Loyalty, is enthusiastic about this new partnership with the Californian start-up.
“Our customers will love everything about these festive cocktails, especially the taste – one of the reasons we chose Spritz Society is their focus on quality natural ingredients.”
Moreover, he adds, “Spritz cocktails have become synonymous with summer and offer a taste of Europe. Given the drink’s origin, we thought what better place to serve them than onboard our flights to Italy,”
Who is the Spritz Society that United is partnering with?
Spritz Societies’ mission is to can beloved cocktails most freshly and simply possible, sourcing most of its ingredients from California, the home of the canned cocktail start-up.
As a result, Spritz Society cocktails are made with only six ingredients and come in four different flavors, including Blood Orange, Pineapple, Lemon, and Grapefruit.
Grapefruit will be available on board during the United limited-time offer, and both Grapefruit and Blood Orange will be available in the United Club locations.
Ben Soffer, CEO and Founder of the Spritz society, comments, “We’re excited to work with United to make Spritz Society available to their customers in select lounges and on two seasonal Italy routes,”.
He adds, “Spritz Society puts a fun twist on the classic Italian cocktail and is made with real wine, real flavors, and real ingredients – it’s the perfect beverage to enhance the Italian travel experience with United.”
