The Best Aperol Spritz Recipe

The Aperol Spritz immediately captures your eye with its glowing orange hue and crisp bubbles floating up towards the sky.

This Italian Aperitivo is a masterpiece that has been enjoyed since the 1950’s! The Aperol Spritz is best enjoyed before  dinner as it is meant to open up your appetite and relax you after a warm summer day.

This blog post will show you everything you need to know on how to make the best Aperol Spritz Recipe. 

Let’s get right into it! This is the:

“Aperol Spritz”

What You Will Need

Alcohol:

Aperol is the star of the show here! The Aperol recipe that was created all the way back in the early 1900’s is actually a SECRET! I can’t blame the Barbieri family too much for that one because this liqueur is magical. Bitter, sweet, bright, and herbaceous, this liqueur is unique and bold. Aperol gives this cocktail its distinct Orange Flavor. I picked up my bottle at Total Wine and More. I know they also carry this at Bevmo and most select Liquor Stores! It will definitely be a wonderful addition to your home bar.

Next up we will be needing some Prosecco! I like to get the Lamarca Prosecco. It has light notes of apple and white peach rounded out by some welcomed acidity. I find it to be great in this cocktail! I got my bottle at Total Wine and More. They will have this Prosecco at Bevmo, Target, and most grocery stores as well!

I love to add a little bit of Cardamom Bitters into my Aperol Spritz. It adds a fun additional kick of flavor to your cocktail! I used the Scrappys Bitters brand but Fee Brothers also carries a tasty version as well. This particular bitters is sweet and spicy with an after taste of orange, mint, and eucalyptus. I picked up my bottle at Total Wine and More, but you can also find it at Bevmo and some select Liquor Stores! You can also get this exact bottle on Amazon RIGHT HERE!

In the photo above I have added 2 dashes of Cardamom Bitters into a wine glass. Afterwards I put in a small pour of soda water to start a good mixture.

Fill:

To fill the remaining space in this cocktail you will need Soda Water! I love using the Fever Tree Club Soda brand. I got my bottle at Total Wine and More but I know they carry this at Bevmo, Target, Whole Foods, and most grocery stores!

In the photo above you can see I am adding my Soda Water  to the top of my Aperol Spritz Cocktail! I always try to pour in the area around the ice cubes so that it starts a natural mix of the ingredients.

Bar Supplies:

The first item you will want to have on deck is a Jigger. Jiggers are an essential piece of bar equipment that help you get precise measurements for your cocktail ingredients! Consistency, quality, and presentation all rely on making sure you have  made a cocktail as it was intended to be made. A jigger is a must have! Fortunately they are super inexpensive! You can pick them up at Bevmo, Total Wine and More, Target, and more! You can also get one just like mine above on Amazon RIGHT HERE!

When I first began bartending I actually used another jigger that was more geared towards beginners. It is a little wider, with very clear and easy to see measure marks. It even has a little pour spout! If you are a beginner and want to ease into getting your pours just right check out this jigger on Amazon RIGHT HERE. This is the exact one I used to use!

Next item you want to make sure you have is a Bar Spoon! In the above photo you can see I am using the bar spoon to give the cocktail a little “lift”. This means once all of the ingredients are in the cocktail, I stick my bar spoon down the side of the drink and lightly pull up 3-4 times. This assures that the contents of the drink are nicely mixed together! Doing it gently is key as we do not want to damage any of the carbonation we’ve got going on. If you want a bar spoon just like mine pictured above, check it out on Amazon RIGHT HERE!

I also must mention that you will need ICE. Lots of people have fridges with an ice dispenser which is perfect for you to use. Alas, if you do not have accessible fridge Ice, AKA ME, you will have to freeze your own! As you see above I use a silicone perfect ice cube tray. I will link an identical one that comes with a LID right HERE! I am lucky enough to have a cocktail store near me as well that  carries perfect ice in every size but that is not always the most affordable option. I would still suggest you check if any such stores exist near your location! Although a little more pricey, definitely worth it in quality!!!

I do recommend that if you are starting to create multiple cocktails at home, you should invest in your own personal little Bartending Kit. Most come with everything you will need as a beginner while others provide several items for more complex creations. I will put links to both a beginners set, and a more advanced set on Amazon below!

Beginners Kit : HERE

Advanced Kit : HERE.

Garnish:

In this amazing Aperol Spritz recipe we will be using two fresh ingredients for a garnish!

First we will be using a half wheel of an orange. The orange will accentuate the flavors that are already dancing around our bubbly aperol spritz. To get the PERFECT half wheel follow these instructions.

First stand the orange up with its stem facing upwards. With a knife, make a cut straight down the middle and all the way through. You should have two equal sides of the orange now.

Take one side of the orange and put it flesh side down. From there you should be able to make perfect even cuts downward giving you the iconic half moon look. You should now have a perfect half wheel of an orange! You will be inserting your half wheel directly into your wine glass after your cocktail is built. It should sit right between the ice and the glass making for a vibrant presentation!

The second garnish we will be using is a couple fresh sprigs of thyme. The thyme marries so well with our orange, herb, and cardamom flavors that we have in the Aperol Spritz.

Every time there is a fresh herb involved in a garnish you want to make sure you give it a good slap before inserting it onto the top of your cocktail. This means you will take the herb in one hand and use your other hand to clap down onto it. This releases the oils and the fresh aromas of the herb! When you lift your Aperol Spritz to your mouth to take that much needed refreshing sip, the thyme will fill your nose and give your senses a precursor to the journey you are about to embark on!

Make sure you  remove large/ dirty stems, or wilted leaves of herbs before you insert them into your cocktail. Presentation is key!

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