Aperol Spritz cocktail

Have you ever heard of Aperol? It’s actually not a spirit I’ve had many times before, but I had my first Aperol Spritz cocktail this summer, and since it graced my kitchen again this week I thought I’d share it with you.

If you’ve not had Aperol before, I’m going to do a pretty bad job of describing it to you, because it’s really hard to find the words. It’s sort of herby, sort of fruity, sort of bitter… basically it’s a whole new kind of drink, totally unlike anything I can think of. You just have to try it to understand!

Anyway, to make the beautifully vibrant Aperol Spritz cocktail you can see in the photos, you only need 5 ingredients (and two of them aren’t really ingredients…).

– Aperol (for heaps of flavour and that gorgeous orange colour)
– Prosecco (for a lovely bubbly drink)
– soda water (just enough to take the edge off!)
– fresh orange (because there’s nothing better than munching on an alcohol-soaked piece of fruit when you’ve finished a cocktail)
– ice (because no cocktail is compelte without it!)

I tend to eyeball my cocktails and don’t often measure things out (hence why they tend to get stronger and stronger throughout the night, whoops), but if you prefer to be a little more accurate, it’s a very easy formula. Just remember 3-2-1!

3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, and 1 part soda water

(plus however much ice and orange you like the sound of!)

The Aperol itself is only 11% alcohol (which is a little less strong than most wine, in case you’re not particularly well-versed in booze), so it doesn’t feel too naughty to mix it with Prosecco. I like to give the chunks of orange a little squeeze as well, to add a hint of sweetness to the cocktail. Overall though, it’s far from sickly sweet, so this is one for you if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth.

What’s your favourite cocktail to drink at this time of year? I’m always looking for new ways to warm up!

Print

Aperol Spritz cocktail

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• Ice cubes
• Fresh oranges (cut into chunks or slices)
• 3 parts Proseco
• 2 parts Aperol
• 1 part soda water

Instructions

• Place the ice cubes and chunks of fresh orange into some glasses, and pour over the remaining cocktail ingredients in the correct ratio. Serve immediately.

Course: Drink

Author: Becca Heyes

Love a good tipple? You should also try making a layered cocktail (or mocktail!):