Why the Beer Cocktail Spaghett is Here to Stay
The hipster darling ‘recession spritz’s journey from industry handshake to cool cost-of-living-crisis go-to
At drinking establishments across the US, you’ll find herds of hip young things are casually slugging from pink-tinged Miller High Life longnecks. The Spaghett is everywhere – its popularity fueled by its affordability, simplicity and effortless casual cool.
Spaghett at Noble Beast Brewing. Photo credit Noble Beast Brewing
For those not already in the know, a Spaghett is a simple two or three ingredient (depending who you ask) beer cocktail involving a light lager, a bright bittersweet amaro and either a slice or splash of fresh lemon (optional). The OG Spaghett consists of a Miller High Life bottle minus an inch or two and topped off with Aperol and lemon. It was invented in 2016 at Baltimore’s Wet City Brewing by bartender Reed Cahill, who whipped it up during a staff brainstorming session. Named for a pasta-loving character on the ‘Tim and Eric Awesome Show’ on Adult Swim, a fun nod to its Italian ingredient and its status as a ‘poor person’s Aperol Spritz’ where the champagne is replaced with the Champagne of Beers. Until recently Spaghett enjoyed under-the-radar industry-insider status but a combination of social media and the cost-of-living-crisis have brought it into the mainstream, as drinkers nationwide are discovering the delicious pop of tangy, herbaceous aperitivo against clean, gently sweet and super-carbonated light lager finished up with a refreshingly sharp citrus twist.
A Budget Friendly Drink Rising in Popularity
If there’s one up-side to take from our current economic downturn, it’s the rise and rise of the Spaghett. A recent Business Insider article devoted to Spaghett’s status as a recession indicator noted that sales are booming, with orders up 65% on last year in the first half of 2025, and up 1000% since 2022 according to sales platform Square. Miller themselves even tried to cash in on this boom by launching their own limited edition ‘Spaghett-sicle’ 5% ABV Spaghett-flavored popsicle ‘dive bar spritz’ lollipop of the summer, although at a wallet-busting $79.00 per pack, they kind-of missed the point.
Elsewhere, Google searches for Spaghetts also peaked significantly over the summer, while the #spaghett hashtag has racked up 11.4K+ posts on Instagram. It’s budget-friendly nature is a significant draw for drinkers hit by rising prices. While an Aperol Spritz can run to $15+, a Spaghett can come in as low as $5, even in the spending-black-hole that is New York City.
The Popularity of Spaghett
South Brooklyn-based pals Lucas Fenton and Eggy Godlee host the Spaghetts Of NYC Instagram account, traversing the city to find the best deals and tastiest flavor combos and adding them to their official ratings board where Spaghett’s status as a value beverage is celebrated. “Since the drink is supposed to be a “poor man’s Aperol Spritz,” price is a big factor for us,” explains Fenton. “[This is] followed by taste, ratio of Aperol, and garnish/lemon juice. Temperature of the drink and the vibe of the bar get factored in a bit, too. A great Spaghett should have an ounce of Aperol, a nice lemon wedge/peel, and be mighty cold.” With almost 50 Spaghetts and counting rated across the five boroughs, the drink’s blossoming market speaks for itself.
At Wet City, co-owner PJ Sullivan had no idea the drink would take off to such a significant extent. “It's easy to make at home and it's not taking itself too seriously – it's fun,” he says of Spaghett’s success. Wet City is now the official home of the Spaghett (which they spell without an h), hosting an annual ‘Spagett Day’ on August 6th to celebrate the success of their creation and all things Spaghett-related. Sponsored by Aperol, the day involves giveaways, Aperol cocktails and a dedicated ‘Spagett Station’. “The Spagett has a huge following here so we thought it was fitting for it to have its own day,” says Sullivan.
Variations on a Theme
Spaghett at Wild East. Photo credit Wild East Brewing
As well as having its own day Spaghett is growing its own subculture, with local and experimental variants popping up across the country, and even internationally. Popular spin-offs include the Camparty (with Campari instead of Aperol) and the Nascar Spritz (with PBR instead of Miller High Life), but this is just the tip of the iceberg. At Eda Rhyne Distilling Company in Asheville, NC, Spaghetts are served in classic longnecks, but the Aperol is replaced by their own Bitter Tooth, a luminous Campari-esque amaro. “For us offering a Spaghett was a no brainer. This down home drink is fun, tasty and easy going,” says co-owner Chris Bower. “The one we offer at the tasting room is a bold and delicious take on the original because of our Bitter Tooth, which is a potent and dynamic red bitter that weighs in at 42% ABV. Its collection of robust forest flavors, including wild sarsaparilla, yarrow and spicebush, make it a vigorous and defiant aperitivo and a perfect bed fellow for the blue-blooded champagne of beers.”
Bold words to match a bold drink, and Bower is far from alone in his endeavors. At North Shore Distillery towards the top end of Chicago, co-owner Sonja Kassebaum is pairing her house-made white amaro with a choice of local beers. “Our white amaro has a lot of depth and complexity, while also having bright, fresh tones. It has rich citrus and vegetal notes, with balanced bitterness – it is not so aggressive in any one direction, which allows it to work well with a variety of beers. It makes itself known, but plays nicely with the other components of the drink, rather than taking over,” she explains.
Faccia Brutto
Craft breweries too are taking Spaghett into their own hands, with breweries from NOLA’s Brieux Carre to the Las Vegas Brewing Company creating the drink with their own draft pours. At New York’s Wild East Brewing, Spaghetts are served with their own American-style lager and locally made Faccia Brutto amaro. Serving and supporting local is part of the company’s ethos as well as a licensing requirement, but again operations and logistics manager points to the additional complexity offered by craft ingredients as a key pull flavorwise. “Maybe because it's more of a dive bar drink in general and we are dealing with craft beer customers, I've had many customers whose first Spaghett was ours. Response has been overwhelmingly positive, with several customers making it part of their regular rotation,” he says. Meanwhile, Cleveland, OH’s Noble Beast Brewing Co. is one of several breweries to make a Spaghett-inspired beer, using European malt and red wheat plus Mandarin Bavaria hops and Abstrax Skyfarm terpenes. “Bitterness came from Flex, a liquid hop product,” explains co-founder Shaun Yasaki. “We chose to use this in higher amounts than we normally would to get a “bitey” bitterness that an Amaro might provide. Finally, to nail that beautiful hue we colored the beer with a little beet powder.”
Where the Spaghett Reigns Supreme
As the market for Spaghett continues to grow and evolve, so does the inventiveness around it. Visit Uncle Leo’s Dive Bar in Cincinnati for a mighty seven different Spaghett variations, or pop NAghett into your searchbar for a plethora of alcohol-free options. At Brooklyn’s Queue Beer Bar, Shane Monteiro is breaking the mold by serving his Spaghetts with MHL poured from a LUKR Czech side-pull faucet. “We chose Miller High Life as the heart of our LUKR program because it’s a beloved service-industry classic and personally one of my all-time favorite post-shift beers,” says Monteiro. “[Then] we crafted our own bright, house-made blend of Aperol and fresh lemon juice, perfectly balanced for the LUKR’s generous foam and unique pour size.” Monteiro also highlights the aesthetic appeal of Spaghett’s sunset hue as a significant draw.
Of course, making Spaghett at home is an even easier and cheaper way to get your fix. It also allows for even greater variation and experimentation to design a drink to fit your own preferred flavor profile and budget. Social media is bursting with DIY Spaghett-makers using Corona, Stella Artois, Modelo and a wide range of craft beers along with Italian vermouths, craft fernets and ever-changing ratios of lemon juice. One particularly intrepid New Zealander posted a Winter Spaghett recipe pairing a locally made dark lager and bitter orange aperitif – definitely one to try at home.
As drinkers and bartenders indulge in classic Spaghett’s Basic Chic and play around with fancy-pants versions, one thing is for sure – Spaghett is here to stay. Fun debates over ratio, temperature and serving style only serve to make this crushable rose-hued beverage even more appealing. Whatever your poison, the ‘poor person’s spritz’ is rich in love.