At Club Med Phuket, the Mediterranean ritual of aperitivo finds a tropical stage as an Aperol “Sun & Spritz” pop-up transforms golden hour over the Andaman Sea into a daily celebration of sunset cocktails.
What’s better than a day of sun, sea, and sand? Why, all of that with a Spritz in hand, of course.
It’s for this reason why Club Med and Aperol have joined forces for “Sun & Spritz”, a limited-time lifestyle activation that will bring a sun-soaked taste of Italian evening drinking culture to Club Med Phuket running from March through August 2026. At its heart? A dedicated Aperol pop-up and sunset ritual staged at the resort’s Coconut Garden, where guests gather for Aperol Spritz as golden hour unfolds over the Andaman Sea.
Bringing aperitivo to the tropics
Few drinking traditions are as evocative of lifestyle as Italian aperitivo culture. Born in northern Italy, the ritual revolves around the early evening pause — a moment to gather with friends over a light, bittersweet drink before dinner. It is convivial, unhurried, and social by design. For decades, that ritual has been synonymous with Mediterranean piazzas and coastal terraces.
On the other side of the world, sunset has long been the most theatrical moment of the tropical resort day. From Bali’s cliffside lounges to Phuket’s beach clubs, the golden hour drink has evolved into a universal holiday ritual. With “Sun & Spritz”, the idea finds an unlikely yet natural new home on the tropical shores of Phuket.
Here Club Med Phuket has transformed its Coconut Garden with a dedicated orange-hued Aperol hub as a social meeting point as the day begins to wind down. Guests drift in from the resort’s activities — whether trapeze, padel tennis, Muay Thai classes, or the spa — before settling into a relaxed evening tempo anchored around the Aperol Spritz, its signature orange hue mirroring the colours of the setting sun while the cocktail itself encourages lingering rather than excess.
Beyond the pop-up bar itself, the “Sun & Spritz” activation includes social rituals and interactive moments such as learning to mix the classic spritz — a subtle but meaningful shift towards experiential beverage programming.
A cocktail made for the travel era
The low-ABV spritz, with its refreshing blend of Aperol, prosecco and soda, is perfectly suited to warm climates and daylight drinking — a formula that has helped propel it into one of the world’s most recognisable holiday cocktails.
The global rise of the Aperol Spritz has coincided with the emergence of drinks-led travel, where bars and beverage experiences increasingly shape how and where people travel. But while beach destinations across Southeast Asia excel at scenery and relaxation, drinks programmes have often been secondary to dining and spa offerings.
Club Med’s partnership with Aperol plugs into that cadence: cocktails not just as a menu item, but as a lifestyle moment embedded into the resort experience.
Where the holiday day ends — and the evening begins
As Asia’s resort destinations grow increasingly sophisticated in their lifestyle programming, this collaboration suggests that the next frontier of hospitality may lie in something deceptively simple: the ritual of the sunset drink.
As the tropical heat softens at Club Med Phuket and the sky begins its slow transition from blue to amber, guests gather over tall glasses of bright orange spritz. Conversations unfold, the pace of the day loosens, and the evening gently begins. And for aperitivo-loving sun seekers and travelling drinks enthusiasts alike, that may just be the best way to end a sun-drenched day at their favourite resort.
[Photo credits: Joel Lim Photography]
Find out more on Club Med’s ‘Sun & Spritz’ Aperol pop-up or to book a stay, visit: https://www.clubmed.com.sg/l/covet-the-life.
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