The botanical flavors of gin and the herbal fruitiness of Aperol go extremely well together. Yet, there aren't many classic recipes that make use of this flavor combination.
To give the beautiful pairing the attention it deserves, we put together a list of our favorite cocktails with gin and Aperol. You can find light and refreshing drinks or complex and bold apéritif cocktails.
The 5 Best Aperol & Gin Cocktails
So, without further ado, let's get to our favorites with gin and Aperol. It's time to try some of these amazing herbal drinks:
1. Aperol Gin & Tonic
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz gin (Edinburgh Seaside or Gin Mare)
- 0.5 oz Aperol
- 4.5 oz Mediterranean tonic water
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- 1 dash of orange bitters
How to make it: Built in glass
How to serve it: on the rocks
The Aperol Gin & Tonic is an orange-hued twist on a classic Gin and Tonic. The combination of Aperol and gin increases the complexity of the famous Highball.
The blend works best with Mediterranean tonic water and gin that brings in some salinity. Combined with the herbal and fruity flavors of Aperol, you will get a beautiful summer drink. Plus, you can build it in the glass, and don't require a mixing glass or shaker.
View Aperol Gin & Tonic Recipe
2. Aperol Negroni
Ingredients:
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz Aperol
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 1 dash of orange bitters
- 1 orange peel
How to make it: stirred in mixing glass
How to serve it: over ice
If the classic Negroni is too boozy and bitter for your taste buds, then how about the Aperol version? The Aperol Negroni is a riff on the traditional, Campari-based cocktail.
It's a less bitter, sweeter, and fruitier version of the popular three-ingredient drink. The color is slightly brighter and a little more orange than red.
3. Aperol Sour
Ingredients:
- 1.5oz Aperol
- 0.5oz gin
- 0.75 fresh lemon juice
- 0.5oz Prosecco syrup
- 1 egg white or 0.5 oz Aquafaba
- 3 drops of orange cocktail bitters
How to make it: shaken
How to serve it: straight up
The Aperol (Gin) Sour is an elegant sour cocktail based on gin and Aperol. Following the traditional template of Sour cocktails: spirit base, sweetener, and citrus juice.
Our Aperol Sour cocktail recipe is a low-ABV drink with a refreshingly tart taste and some floral and herbal notes. Also, the color and the frothy foam on top make this drink a fabulous alternative to an Aperol Spritz.
4. Queen Mother cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 oz dry gin
- 1 oz Dubonnet
- 0.75 oz Aperol
- 0.25 oz Jamaican overproof pot still rum
How to make it: stirred
How to serve it: straight up
Queen Elizabeth was known to be an enthusiastic Dubonnet and Gin drinker, and so was her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. In 2014, Jake Burger from the Portobello Star in London enhanced this drink by adding two extra ingredients to the mix, thereby creating on of the most elegant Aperol Gin Cocktails:
His Queen Mother cocktail features Dubonnet, Dry Gin, Aperol, and a bit of Jamaican overproof pot still Rum.
View Queen Mother Cocktail Recipe
5. Montreal cocktail
Ingredients:
- 0.75 oz Canadian Rye Whisky
- 0.75 oz London Dry Gin
- 0.75 oz Suze
- 0.75 oz Aperol
How to make it: stirred
How to serve it: straight up
In 2017, 15 bartenders collectively created the recipe for the Montreal cocktail to celebrate the 375th birthday of the city of Montreal.
London Dry Gin reflects the English influence, while Suze, aka Gentian liqueur, reflects the French influence in the city. Canadian Rye and Italian Aperol liqueur round off the recipe and make the Montreal cocktail a gorgeous apéritif cocktail.
More About Aperol
Aperol is one of the up-and-coming Amari. With only 11% ABV, the Italian bitter liqueur is relatively light. -And not only is it one of the lightest Amari but also one of the least bitter ones.
The story of Aperol began in 1912 when brothers Silvio and Luigi Barbieri created their first orange-hued liqueur. It took them seven years to develop the final version. Then, it took the herbal liqueur another 30 years to gain traction.
By the end of the second world war, the Aperol Spritz was invented and started generating sales. However, the real success only happened after the acquisition by the Campari group in 2003. Campari managed to skyrocket the popularity of Aperol by promoting the Aperol Spritz in Europe and later in the US.
Thanks for sharing.