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Best Aperol Cocktails — 10 Recipes to Make at Home

Aperol is one of the most versatile spirits behind the bar — yet most people only ever make one thing with it. The Spritz is iconic for good reason, but this bittersweet Italian aperitivo has a lot more to offer.

At 11% ABV, Aperol is lighter than most spirits, which makes it brilliant in long drinks and spritzes where it can carry a lot of volume without overwhelming. Its flavour — bitter orange, rhubarb, a hint of vanilla and cinchona root — plays well with citrus, elderflower, tonic, Prosecco, gin and tequila alike.

Below are 10 Aperol cocktails ranging from the quick-and-easy to the properly impressive — each with full ingredients and method so you can make them properly at home.

1

Aperol Spritz

Easy

Glass: Large wine glass

Ingredients

  • 90ml Prosecco
  • 60ml Aperol
  • 30ml soda water
  • ice
  • orange slice to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Fill a large wine glass with ice.
  2. 2.Pour in the Prosecco first — this prevents it going flat.
  3. 3.Add the Aperol.
  4. 4.Top with a small splash of soda water.
  5. 5.Garnish with a fresh orange slice.

Tip: The classic ratio is 3-2-1: three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, one part soda. Don't over-pour the soda — it dilutes both the flavour and the colour.

2

Aperol Sour

Medium

Glass: Coupe or rocks glass

Ingredients

  • 50ml Aperol
  • 25ml fresh lemon juice
  • 15ml simple syrup
  • 1 egg white (or 15ml aquafaba)
  • ice
  • dehydrated orange slice to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Add all ingredients to a shaker without ice (this is called a dry shake).
  2. 2.Shake hard for 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
  3. 3.Add ice and shake again for another 10 seconds.
  4. 4.Double strain into a chilled coupe or over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
  5. 5.Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice or a few drops of Angostura bitters.

Tip: The dry shake before adding ice is essential — it creates a proper foam. Without it, the egg white won't emulsify properly and you'll get a flat, watery result.

3

Paper Plane

Medium

Glass: Coupe

Ingredients

  • 25ml Aperol
  • 25ml bourbon
  • 25ml Amaro Nonino
  • 25ml fresh lemon juice

Method

  1. 1.Measure all four ingredients in equal parts into a shaker.
  2. 2.Add ice and shake hard for 10 seconds.
  3. 3.Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  4. 4.No garnish needed — the drink speaks for itself.

Tip: Amaro Nonino is the correct amaro for this — it's lighter and more citrus-forward than heavier amari like Montenegro or Averna. The equal-parts formula was created by Sam Ross in 2008 and has become a modern classic.

4

Aperol & Tonic

Easy

Glass: Highball

Ingredients

  • 50ml Aperol
  • 150ml premium tonic water
  • ice
  • orange peel to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Fill a highball glass with ice.
  2. 2.Pour in the Aperol.
  3. 3.Top slowly with tonic water — pour over the back of a spoon to preserve the bubbles.
  4. 4.Express an orange peel over the glass and drop it in.

Tip: A lighter, lower-ABV alternative to the Spritz when you don't have Prosecco. Use a premium tonic like Fever-Tree Mediterranean — the floral notes complement Aperol better than standard tonic.

5

Aperol Negroni (Negroni Bianco)

Easy

Glass: Rocks glass

Ingredients

  • 30ml gin
  • 30ml Aperol
  • 30ml dry vermouth
  • large ice cube
  • orange peel to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Add gin, Aperol and dry vermouth to a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
  2. 2.Stir for 30 seconds until well chilled.
  3. 3.Strain over a large single ice cube in a rocks glass.
  4. 4.Express an orange peel over the drink and use it as garnish.

Tip: Swapping Campari for Aperol and red vermouth for dry vermouth creates a lighter, more approachable Negroni — perfect for people who find the original too bitter. Use a London Dry gin for best results.

6

Aperol Paloma

Easy

Glass: Highball

Ingredients

  • 40ml Aperol
  • 30ml tequila blanco
  • 100ml pink grapefruit juice
  • splash of soda
  • salt rim (optional)
  • ice
  • grapefruit wedge to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Salt the rim of a highball glass if desired, then fill with ice.
  2. 2.Add Aperol and tequila.
  3. 3.Pour in the grapefruit juice.
  4. 4.Top with a splash of soda and stir gently.
  5. 5.Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

Tip: The bittersweet orange of Aperol pairs brilliantly with grapefruit — the flavour profiles amplify each other. Use fresh pink grapefruit juice if possible rather than carton juice.

7

Aperol Margarita

Medium

Glass: Rocks glass or coupe

Ingredients

  • 40ml tequila blanco
  • 20ml Aperol
  • 20ml fresh lime juice
  • 10ml agave syrup
  • ice
  • salt or chilli-salt rim
  • lime wheel to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Prepare your glass with a salt or chilli-salt rim.
  2. 2.Add tequila, Aperol, lime juice and agave syrup to a shaker with ice.
  3. 3.Shake hard for 10 seconds.
  4. 4.Strain into your prepared glass over fresh ice or straight up.
  5. 5.Garnish with a lime wheel.

Tip: Aperol adds bittersweet orange notes that make this a noticeably different — and arguably better — Margarita than the standard Cointreau version. The lower sugar content of Aperol means the citrus stays bright.

8

Venetian Sunset

Easy

Glass: Wine glass

Ingredients

  • 50ml Aperol
  • 100ml blood orange juice
  • 60ml Prosecco
  • ice
  • orange slice to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Fill a wine glass with ice.
  2. 2.Pour in the blood orange juice first.
  3. 3.Add the Aperol — it will layer naturally due to the different densities.
  4. 4.Top gently with Prosecco.
  5. 5.Do not stir — the layered effect is part of the presentation.

Tip: Blood orange juice is only available seasonally (November to April in the UK) but makes this drink stunning. Out of season, freshly squeezed regular orange juice works well. Avoid carton juice — it's too sweet.

9

Aperol & Elderflower Spritz

Easy

Glass: Wine glass or highball

Ingredients

  • 40ml Aperol
  • 20ml elderflower cordial
  • 100ml soda water
  • ice
  • cucumber ribbon and mint sprig to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Fill your glass with ice.
  2. 2.Add Aperol and elderflower cordial.
  3. 3.Top with soda water and stir very gently once.
  4. 4.Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and fresh mint.

Tip: A non-alcoholic-friendly riff when you want something lighter — reduce the Aperol to 20ml and double the elderflower for a near-zero-alcohol version. The floral elderflower softens the bitterness beautifully.

10

Sbagliato

Easy

Glass: Rocks glass

Ingredients

  • 30ml Aperol
  • 30ml sweet vermouth
  • 60ml Prosecco
  • large ice cube
  • orange half-wheel to garnish

Method

  1. 1.Add Aperol and sweet vermouth to a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
  2. 2.Top with Prosecco — pour slowly to keep the bubbles.
  3. 3.Stir once very gently.
  4. 4.Garnish with an orange half-wheel.

Tip: The Sbagliato (Italian for "mistaken") is a Negroni where someone accidentally grabbed Prosecco instead of gin. The result is lighter, more effervescent, and lower in alcohol. Campari is traditional but Aperol makes a sweeter, more approachable version.

Buying Aperol in the UK

Aperol is widely available in UK supermarkets — Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and ASDA all stock it, typically for £12–£16 for a 70cl bottle. It's the same product everywhere; there's no premium version worth paying extra for.

For the Spritz specifically, you'll need a dry Prosecco rather than a sweet one — look for “Brut” on the label. A cheap Prosecco works perfectly well here; the Aperol is the star. Supermarkets are fine for Aperol itself; Master of Malt is useful when you want Prosecco, amari and bar tools delivered in one order.

UK shop picks

Buy Aperol for these cocktails

Bottles we actually recommend for the recipes above — shipped from UK retailers. Affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Shop all Aperol at Master of Malt →

Home bar essentials

You do not need a full pub setup — four tools cover most of the cocktails on this page. Good ice and fresh citrus matter as much as the bottles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Aperol taste like?

Aperol has a bittersweet orange flavour with notes of rhubarb, gentian root and cinchona. It's lighter and sweeter than Campari, with a lower ABV of 11%. The bitterness is gentle enough for people who don't normally enjoy bitter spirits.

What can I mix with Aperol besides Prosecco?

Aperol works with tonic water, soda water, grapefruit juice, blood orange juice, elderflower cordial, gin, tequila and bourbon. It's versatile enough to work in both long refreshing drinks and short stirred cocktails like a Negroni riff.

How long does Aperol last once opened?

Aperol keeps for around 3 months once opened if stored in a cool, dark place. The flavour gradually fades after that — particularly the brightness of the citrus notes. Unlike vermouth, it doesn't need to be refrigerated, though keeping it cool helps.

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