Aperol Spritz

For this week’s cocktail, we kept things on the traditional side and mixed up a pitcher of Aprerol spritz, a classic Italian aperitif in northeast Italy. What makes it a favourite there? Well, for starters, Aperol has a low alcohol content (11%), making it ideal for summer sipping that starts around noon. I’m sure there was more, but I stopped reading after that.

Aperol, like Campari, is also loved for its bitterness, which has us guessing that we might be tiptoeing into Negroni territory.

Let’s find out!

 

Ingredients

  • 3 parts Prosecco (or Cava)
  • 2 parts Aperol
  • 1 part club soda
  • Orange slices, to garnish

Simply fill tall glasses with ice, pour in the ingredients, garnish, and serve.

The verdict: Yup. Delightfully bitter. And such a beautiful colour!—almost distractingly so. In fact, I think that the brazenly boisterous colour made the bitter surprise that much more enjoyable. Also enjoyable were our pre-dinner nibbles: warm naan bread and some cucumber spears. To our delight, the cucumber paired so well with the bitter Aperol that I’d recommend garnishing the drink with one—slice, not entire cucumber. Unless your night’s heading in a different direction than dinner. No judgment…. And happy cocktails!

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