★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
This refreshing craft cocktail is a twist on the classic Italian cocktail. This Aperol Spritz is made with beautiful blood oranges for added sweetness and a colorful presentation.
A Refreshing Italian Cocktail
This blood orange Aperol spritz is the perfect cocktail for spring and summer!
It’s fresh and fruity, sweetened with blood orange juice, and topped with prosecco to add a bit of bubbles.
This spritz is a common aperitivo (pre-meal) to enjoy before dinner in Italy. Serve it with a simple cheese board and your guests are sure to be impressed!
A cocktail that looks as good as it taste.
This classic Italian cocktail is know for it's bubbly bright flavor but it can be a bit bitter. So adding some colorful blood oranges as garnish as well as incorporating some of the juice, really enhances the look and flavor of this refreshing drink.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
This craft cocktail requires just a handful of ingredients.
Here's everything you'll need:
- Aperol. This is a reddish-orange Italian liqueur that has the flavor of orange rinds. It can be a bit bitter on its own.
- Blood oranges. You can use regular orange as well but blood oranges add a nice color and make a striking garnish. You'll juice some of the oranges and slice the remainders for the finishing touch. Short on time? You can also just use orange juice from the carton.
- Prosecco. This is similar to champagne in that it's essentially bubbly wine. Prosecco is not overly sweet but it's not dry. It's somewhere in the middle which works well when combining with the sweet orange juice.
- Club soda. This dilutes the bitterness of the Aperol and adds additional bubbles for the full "spritz" experience.
To simplify this recipe, you can use blood orange soda in place of fresh orange juice and club soda.
★ How to Make this Cocktail ★
This cocktail is crafted in just a few simple steps. The most complicated part is squeezing the oranges. I recommend a handheld orange juicer that catches seeds to do this easily.
Here is a snapshot of building this drink: (Full recipe with measurements can be found below.)
- Add Aperol to your drinking glass.
- Pour in blood orange juice.
- Add ice.
- Add prosecco.
- Top off with club soda.
- Add orange slices for garnish.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
An Aperol Spritz has a refreshing and bittersweet flavor profile. The Aperol provides a distinct bitter orange taste with herbal notes, while the prosecco adds a light and bubbly sweetness. The soda water adds effervescence and helps balance the flavors.
While the traditional recipe calls for Aperol, prosecco, and soda water, you can experiment with substitutes. For example, you could use a different bitter liqueur like Campari instead of Aperol or sparkling wine instead of prosecco. However, these substitutions will alter the taste and character of the drink.
No, an Aperol Spritz is generally considered a lighter and lower-alcohol cocktail. Aperol has an alcohol content of 11% by volume, and when combined with prosecco and soda water, the overall alcohol content remains relatively low.
Yes, there are many variations of the Aperol Spritz. For example, like this recipe, you can add fruit juice. Tart fruits like grapefruit or blood oranges enhance and compliment the citrus flavor of Aperol liqueur. Some recipes also suggest adding a dash of bitters or substituting different sparkling wines or liqueurs. Feel free to experiment!
An Aperol Spritz is often enjoyed as an aperitivo, a pre-dinner drink in Italy. It is a popular choice for warm weather and outdoor gatherings. However, you can enjoy it any time you desire a light, refreshing cocktail with a bitter-sweet flavor.
Yes, the Aperol Spritz has become an iconic drink associated with Italian culture and the traditional "Italian-style" aperitivo hour. It gained popularity worldwide and is now enjoyed in many countries, particularly during summer months.
If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, you can substitute Aperol with non-alcoholic bitter orange liqueurs and replace prosecco with additional sparkling water. This makes a refreshing and flavorful mocktail!
★ More Cocktail Recipes ★
Want to try your hand at other craft cocktails?
Blood Orange Aperol Spritz
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 oz Aperol
- 1 oz blood orange juice (about ½ an orange)
- ½ cup crushed ice
- 1 oz lime flavored club soda
- 2 oz Prosecco
Garnish
- 2 slices blood orange
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Instructions
- Add aperol and blood orange juice to a highball glass or large wine glass, then fill halfway with ice.
- Gently pour prosecco then finish off with club soda.
- Garnish with slices of blood orange and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Chill prosecco and Aperol to keep your cocktail cold longer and prevent ice from melting and diluting the drink.
- You can make this cocktail without prosecco, just replace with more club soda.
- To shortcut this recipe: use blood orange soda in place of fresh squeezed juice and club soda.
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