Aperol is an Italian, orange-flavored liqueur, making it the perfect light and refreshing cocktail for spring and summer. Enjoy these 6 simple Aperol cocktail ideas from my kitchen!
My Introduction to the Aperol Cocktail
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 the summer of 2019. Well, at least as far as Southern Charm and Summer House goes!
I was curious, but didn’t even know what Aperol even was. I remember walking into a liquor store and having to ask the owner to grab me some… with no clue what he’d actually walk out with!
Fast-forward 8 months, and I’m finally trying it, and I LOVE 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. I love our bar cabinet, but I want the alcohol to be used – not just looked at!
Determined to come up with multiple ways of using this bottle, I tested and tried lots of Aperol cocktail recipes, and tweaked some of my favorite go-to cocktails to include Aperol. Here are my favorite six!
Aperol Spritz
- 1 part Prosecco
- 1 part Aperol
- A splash of Club Soda
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Let’s start with the cocktail that started it all – the Aperol Spritz.
I used 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. And from my research, it absolutely must be served in a wine glass over ice.
An Aperol Spritz 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
- A splash of Ginger Beer, to taste
- A squeeze of Lime
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Is anyone surprised to see a Moscow Mule twist in the mix?? It’s one of my absolute favorite drinks, and it’s hard not to experiment with adding different ingredients. 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
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Use a slice of lime to rim your glass, then dip in sugar or salt (your preference) and fill the glass with ice.
Combine all ingredients in a shaker bottle, shake, and pour. Light, refreshing, and delicious! It is 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
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Combine ingredients with ice 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
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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, so the same fall risk as above applies.
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Amber Road Aperol Cocktail
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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 often drink Bourbon now, 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 honestly so fun going down memory lane with this Bourbon drink, and it was delicious! The orange and maple flavors complemented each other perfectly!
The End of the Aperol Cocktail Tour!
That concludes my tour of Aperol Cocktails – should I do more cocktail round ups with different liquors?