I know this is really going to help my creditability, but the first time I heard the word “Aperol” was when watching Bravo. An Aperol Spritz was apparently all the cocktail rage in summer 2019… At least as far as Southern Charm and Summer House goes! I was curious, but I didn’t know what Aperol even was. I remember walking into a liquor store and having to ask the owner to grab me some… no clue what he’d actually walk out with! Fast-forward 8 months, and I’m finally trying it… and LOVING it. It’s an amazing, Italian, orange-flavored liqueur. So light and sweet, I feel like it’s a perfect pairing for spring and summer cocktails.
A pet peeve of mine is buying a big bottle of a special liqueur to use for one drink. Determined to come up with multiple ways of using this bottle, I’ll go ahead and start with the cocktail that started this whole thing…
DISCLAIMER – All drinks basically look the same because of the signature Aperol color …
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The Aperol Spritz
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- Prosecco
- Aperol
- Club Soda
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I referenced the recipe straight off the back of the Aperol bottle for this baby…. It calls for equal parts Aperol and Prosecco, topped off with club soda. I found some recipes that said 3 parts Prosecco to 2 parts Aperol is also good! And from my research, it absolutely must be served in a wine glass over ice. It kind of feels like a fancy spin on a mimosa (I personally think a mimosa is fancy in itself) which now makes sense why it was all the rage in the summer on the East Coast.
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The Italian Mule
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- 1.5 oz Vodka
- 1.5 oz Aperol
- Ginger Beer
- Lime
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Is anyone surprised to see a Moscow Mule twist in the mix?? One of my absolute favorite drinks, it’s hard for me not to experiment with adding different ingredients to it. This one didn’t disappoint!
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Aperol Margarita – The Aperolita??
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- 2 oz Tequila
- 1.5 oz Aperol
- 0.75 oz Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup
- Squeezed Lime Juice
- Ice
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Use a slice of lime to rim your glass, then dip in sugar or salt (whichever your preference) and fill the glass with ice. Combine all ingredients in a shaker, shake it up and pour. Light, refreshing and delicious! A little sweeter than the typical Margarita.
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Whipped Aperol Martini
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- 2 oz Whipped Vodka
- 2 oz Aperol
- ice
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Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake, and pour into a Martini glass. I’m not a big Martini drinker, but Whipped Vodka sure helps! I originally tried adding bitters to this one, but I don’t think I liked the addition. WARNING – You become a “Fall Risk” after drinking one of these!
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Orange-sicle Martini
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- 1.5 oz Whipped Vodka
- 1.5 oz Aperol
- 1.5 oz Rum Chata
- Ice
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Combine all ingredients in an ice shaker. Shake well and pour. It’s the same drink as above, but the addition of the Rum Chata makes all the difference. I’m a fan of creamy drinks, and this one is goooooooood…. And really strong. Same fall risk as above applies.
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Amber Road
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- 1.5 oz Bourbon
- 1 oz Aperol
- 0.5 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Maple Syrup
- Couple dashes of bitters
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I don’t drink Bourbon often, but I did for a period of time when we lived somewhat close to the Bourbon Trail…. Did you know that you can basically explore that area in a similar fashion as Wine Country?? It was fun going down memory lane with this Bourbon drink, and it was delicious! The orange and maple flavors complimented perfectly!