Cocktail Romance: Aperitivo Hour – Spritz Aperol

Spritz Aperol - Aperitivo Cocktail recipe

There’s something about the hot weather that makes us crave those icy-cold zesty cocktails. Cool condensation that drips from the chilled bottle. The tall glasses, the rattle of ice. A bendy straw or a mermaid shaped swizzle stick… yeah, maybe not.

Now, the good ol’ G&T or a Pimms are great tipples, but in Italy, we found something to bring home that’ll really tangle with your taste buds and that’ll cool the blood to boot.

Talking of cooling the blood, my Uncle Tommy brought something home from his travels that did just that. The differences between the tarantula that clambered out of his suitcase and the drink we found in Tuscany are many and varied.

Perhaps we’ll come back to my uncle’s new hairy friend another time. In the meantime, here’s what you’ll need for the perfect spritz Aperol:

Mr and Mrs Romance - Aperitivo Hour - Spritz Aperol Recipe guide

How to make Spritz Aperol

What you need:

  • Plenty of ice.
  • Aperol – it’s a member of the orangey Campari family but isn’t as bitter.
  • Dry prosecco or sparkling wine/champagne. Either way it must be dry.
  • Soda water or sparkling mineral water.

Garnish:

Slice of orange or lime.
Hammock, recliner or beach view.

Glass type:

Either a wine glass or a tumbler. You can use a tall glass, but you’ll have to use more prosecco.

What you do:

  1. Build the drink in the glass in the order of the ingredients above.
  2. At the end, garnish the glass with a slice of orange or a piece of lime.
  3. Sit back and say ‘salute!’

Top Tips:

  • Cut the fruit in at an acute angle to the centre. That way the garnish will hang in your glass and won’t fall in your lap when you drink.
  • If you have the space, keep all the ingredients in the fridge. Two reasons: 1. It’ll keep the drink cool longer. 2. Until you work out how much Aperol you like, you can pour it in before the ice, which makes it easier to measure the pour.
  • You can make this drink with Campari instead of Aperol, but it’s not really the same – and the extra bitterness of the Campari can put people off.

Mr and Mrs Romance - Aperitivo Hour - Spritz Aperol

What do you drink on the hottest day of the year?

Images by Mrs Romance.

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