The Aperol Spritz have become quite a popular cocktail. Personally, it is one that I really like, so much so that it has become my go to cocktail in the summer half of the year. While it is currently winter and Aperol is very summery, the cocktail of this week is still very summery, clashing with the weather outside at the moment. Nevertheless, a good cocktail is still a good cocktail. For me that is something this cocktail highlight rather well, some cocktails are suited for a certain occasion, like the Aperol Spritz or the Mint Julep, while others, like this, work the year around regardless of the obvious seasonality of them.
This cocktail was rather easy to come up with the main ingredients. I think Aperol is too weak to work as the only spirit. Something else is needed. The citrusy notes and bitterness make the liqueur to mix well with gin, making that an obvious choice of spirit. For a sour, citrus is needed and incorporated in the cocktail by using lemon juice. To have the cocktail balanced, bitterness, sweetness, acidity and alcohol must be balanced. The easiest way to do this is by using simple syrup to find a nice balance between all the other ingredients and then play with the simple syrup to get the desired sweetness. When combined in a good way, you end up with a slightly bitter and sour cocktail that tastes fresh and citrusy.
Where I did a post on the Jasmine cocktail a few weeks ago, this is much sweeter and more orangey compared to the grapefruit flavour of the Jasmine. If I were to introduce someone to Italian aperitifs like Campari or Aperol, I would recommend something like this, the Jasmine or the Aperol Spritz. While they all have a bitter ingredient, they have so much else going on in a noticeable way that it is possible to drink them without getting overwhelmed by one strong flavour. This is a cocktail that I would recommend to anyone who does not have the Negroni as their go-to cocktail.
My Recipe:
- 1.5 oz (4.5 cl) Gin
- 1 oz (3 cl) Aperol
- 1 oz (3 cl) Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz (1.5 cl) Simple Syrup
Add the ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
