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Learn How to Make an Aperol Spritz Cocktail at home with just 3 simple ingredients + ice. Fresh, bubbly and lightly sweet summer cocktail, that is very easy to make and goes well with salads, fish, seafood and fried foods. Perfect for the beach or pool. It is a signature drink during summertime in Italy and looks like golden orange sunset.
Aperol Sprits – the worst drink according to the NYT
To be honest, I tried an Aperol Spritz Cocktail for the first time this summer. I know I’m late to the game. The fact that I like orange flavor and bubbly drinks made me like this cocktail as well.
I’m currently in Europe and tis cocktail is everywhere. For some reason, I don’t remember seeing it in the US last summer and wonder why.
Then I decided to make it at home and went to the store to get a bottle of Aperol. Luckily, they had a promo and each bottle came with an Aperol glass, which was very nice.
I used 3 oz prosecco, 2 oz Aperol and 1 oz sparkling water.
Yes, this cocktail contains alcohol in it. The alcohol content in Aperol is 11% and in Prosecco around 12%, depending on the brand.
A glass of Aperol Spritz Cocktail following this recipe, has around 200 calories.
What is Aperol?
Aperol is a classic Italian bitter apéritif made of gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona and other ingredients.
It is an orange-red liquor invented by the Barbieri brothers in Padova in 1919, used is Spritz recipes. It is now produced by the Campari Group.
Low in alcohol (11 %), with a citrusy and slightly bitter taste, it is a light and fresh aperitif.
You can drink Aperol on its own, not as a part of a cocktail, just with some ice and an orange twist. I personally find it a little too sweet. Paired with bubbly, it tastes so much better.
Aperol and Campari – do they taste similar and can they be substituted in cocktails?
Aperol is less bitter compared to Campari. It is also sweeter than Campari. No wonder some people can not like Aperol at all. Certain Aperol spritz recipes have extra bitters added to this cocktail.
The alcohol content in Campari is more than twice the one in Aperol. It ranges between 20.5 and 28.5%, compared to 11% in Aperol.
What kind of sparkling wine to use for Aperol Spritz cocktail
Most recipes for this cocktail advice to use a “cheap” bottle of prosecco.
Prosecco is an inexpensive Italian wine, made from Prosecco grapes using a Tank method in the region of Veneto, Italy. It is a dry, Brut style wine.
Any Prosecco will work for this cocktail, but you can also use a pricier bottle of champagne, if you’d like.
Sparkling Water
Regular sparkling water (club soda) from a can (preferably unflavored) will do it for this cocktail. If you’d like to use a natural sparkling water like Perrier or San Pellegrino, you could do so.
How to make Aperol Spritz
There is no muddling, shaking or any other special techniques involved in this cocktail recipe.
All you need to do is to measure your ingredients and pour them in an oversized wine glass with a few ice cubes.
Garnish with orange slice. Should you fill the glass with ice? You certainly could, but it will dilute the cocktail.
I personally prefer to fill the cocktail glass half way with ice in this cocktail recipe.
More cocktail recipes:
What food to serve with Aperol Spritz?
So we got the summery cocktail, but what food goes well with it? Luckily I have plenty of recipes to recommend. Last week I had it at a restaurant paired with seafood cauliflower risotto and it tasted awesome. I have a great recipe for a Caribbean Shrimp With Cauliflower Rice.
Smoked fish like salmon is also a great choice. Don’t forget to make a salad, like this easy cucumber salad. Gulf Shrimp Wedge salad or Arugula Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Salad will pair well with an Aperol cocktail.
Aperol Spritz Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 oz prosecco
- 2 oz Aperol
- 1 oz sparkling water, soda water
- Orange slice for garnishing
- ice
Instructions
- Add 3 cubes of ice to a wine glass. Pour in the Aperol, Prosecco and sparkling water. Garnish with orange wheel.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It was easy to make following the instructions and tasted great!
Just made this last night haha