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The Aperol Spritz recipe is a simple one: mix Aperol, Prosecco, and Soda water to make a cocktail that has become a modern classic.
I remember my first Aperol Spritz.
I was at the Christmas Market’s, in desperate need of a drink and not being a fan of mulled wine.
My friend got an Aperol Spritz and told me I’d like it. This was just about the time the drink was beginning to get popular – I’d never heard of it before. I’d never even heard of Aperol before.
I wasn’t immediately sold.
It didn’t sound like my kind of drink, but boy was I wrong.
It was bitter, bubbly, and very, very refreshing.
Wanna know how to make the perfect Aperol Spritz? Let’s get mixing!
What is an Aperol Spritz cocktail?
An Aperol Spritz is – yes, you guessed it – a type of Spritz cocktail.
I mean it’s in the name, isn’t it?
But what exactly is a Spritz cocktail? That’s a great question.
What are Spritz Cocktails?
Spritz cocktails are Italian wine-based drinks that usually consist of Prosecco, Soda Water, and Digestive Bitters.
OK…what are Digestive Bitters? Another great question!
What are Digestive Bitters?
Digestive Bitters is a botanical, yet alcoholic, drink that’s bitter or bittersweet to the taste.
Back in the day, Digestive Bitters were used for medicinal purposes. Often, it was medicinal herbs and spices mixed with wine to create them.
As time went by, these Digestive Bitters were used more for cocktails and social drinking.
The most common Digestive Bitters used in Spritz cocktails are Aperol, Campari, Select, and Cynar.
What is Campari?
What Ingredients do you need to make an Aperol Spritz?
Before we take a look at the Aperol Spritz recipe, let’s first take a look at the ingredients we need to make the drink.
…Or click here to jump directly to the recipe!
Aperol
Aperol is a type of Italian Digestive Bitters.
Considered an aperitif (a drink served before a meal), Aperol is made from Gentian, Rhubarb, and Cinchona and has a vibrant orange hue.
The name Aperol comes from the Italian slang word for Aperitivio (aka aperitif), which is apero.
So Aperol literally means aperitif.
Aperol was originally created in 1919 by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, though it did not become popular until after the Second World War.
Now Aperol is owned by the Campari group and in the 00’s saw a resurgence with the popularity of the Aperol Spritz cocktail.
Prosecco
Prosecco is an Italian white win that’s almost always made to be some level of sparkling.
By law it’s made from the Prosecco grape – aka the Glera grape – but up to 15% of the wine is permitted to be made up by other grape varieties.
For Prosecco, we recommend:
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Soda Water
Soda Water is essentially water that contains dissolved Carbon Dioxide gas.
This can either infused with the water artificially or occur naturally.
Soda Water is thought to have been around since 1740, but became popular in 1783 when the Soda industry really took off and Soda Water was bottled and sold.
For Soda Water, we recommend:
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How do You Garnish an Aperol Spritz?
You garnish an Aperol Spritz with a slice of orange.
This isn’t to compliment the bitter, sharp taste – more compliment the striking orange colour of the Aperol Spritz cocktail.
What Cocktail Equipment do you need to make an Aperol Spritz?
Before we get to the Aperol Spritz recipe, let’s take a look at what you need to make an Aperol Spritz!
…Or jump directly to the recipe by clicking here!
A Super Simple Drink
This cocktail doesn’t need much in the way of equipment – it’s that easy to make!
No Cocktail Shaker, not even a bar spoon.
You just need a glass to put it in.
And since an Aperol Spritz is a wine-based cocktail, it’s a wine glass you need to make it!
Wine Glasses
Wine Glasses are great for Wine, but even better for wine-based cocktails!
They’re classy, they look the part, and more importantly they’re big!
For Wine Glasses, we recommend:
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Now, let’s get our Aperol Spritz recipe…
Aperol Spritz Recipe
As mentioned previously, the Aperol Spritz is a super simple cocktail to make; it has just 3 ingredients and you don’t need any cocktail equipment to make it.
Here’s the recipe:
Aperol Spritz
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How Many Calories Are in an Aperol Spritz?
Now we have the Aperol Spritz recipe, let’s take a look at how this cocktail is going to affect our waistlines!
- 60ml of Aperol: 96 calories
- 90ml of Prosecco: 74 calories
- 30ml of Soda Water: 11 calories
- Total calories: 181 calories
Want More Cocktail Recipes?
Do you love our Aperol Spritz recipe, but want to try something a little different? We’ve got you covered!
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