Italian spirits brand Aperol is bringing its Aperol Spritz Sundial Social back to London South Bank, offering Londoners free Aperol Spritz serves when the 20 foot wide Aperol sundial strikes ‘aperitivo hour’ at 5.00pm.

Running from today (July 11th) to July 15th, the pop-up bar (which first appeared in Summer 2017) will also feature music, snacks and Aperol fussball and table tennis, as well as visual cues referencing Italian culture, such as chairs made out of scooter seats.

Consumers do not need to book in advance: the brand says they can turn up, order a free Aperol Spritz (one per customer) and enjoy what it calls “contagious Italian fun”, in celebration of Italy’s aperitivo culture. Aperol claims the ‘Aperitivo Hours’ in Italy are a ritual built around a natural casual get together at the end of the day, over a drink or two which have for years begun with an Aperol Spritz, Italy’s most popular cocktail.

Aperol has just published research which found that over half (56%) of Brits think they have lost all spontaneity, and a fifth of Londoners (22%) haven’t been for a spontaneous drink with a friend in over five months.

The Southbank activation aims to encourage Londoners to embrace a more easy-going Italian approach to socialising. It is open from 5.00pm-9.00pm Wednesday to Saturday and 12.00pm to 4.00pm Sunday.

The Aperol Spritz Sundial Social is a follow up to the recent The Aperol Big Spritz Social, which popped up for eight days near Hoxton Square in June. Other Aperol Spritz events are planned over the summer.

Aperol is a classic Italian bitter aperitif which is usually mixed with Prosecco and a splash of soda in a wine glass full of ice and a slice of orange. The brand is owned by Campari Group, which is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands.