Aperol is known for being a great apéritif liqueur. It's even more popular as an ingredient in apéritif cocktails. Now, our Aperol Sour recipe takes the refreshing taste of a sparkling spritz apéritifo and turns it into a unique sour.
Quick Facts Aperol Sour
- Method: shaken, dry shake
- Flavor profile: bittersweet, slightly sour
- How to serve it: neat in a chilled glass
- Glassware: sour or coupe glass
- Alcohol content: ~ 11.5% ABV, 11 grams of alcohol per serving
Besides Aperol, a classic Spritz calls for chilled Prosecco, we don't use that in our Sour. Instead, we make a delicious homemade Prosecco syrup to incorporate the crisp, aromatic, acidic flavors of Italian sparkling wine into this cocktail.
Equipment
- 1 Jigger
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Hawthorne Strainer
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Aperol
- 0.75 oz Gin
- 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
- 0.25 oz Prosecco syrup
- 0.5 oz Egg white or Aquafaba
- 3 drops Orange cocktail bitters - (optional)
- Dehydrated orange wheel
Instructions
- Pour Aperol, Gin, Lemon juice, Prosecco syrup, and egg white into a cocktail shaker with ice.1.5 oz Aperol, 0.75 oz Gin, 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice, 0.25 oz Prosecco syrup, 0.5 oz Egg white or Aquafaba
- Shake for 15 seconds to chill the drink. Then strain into the shaker and shake again without ice.
- Strain the drink into a chilled couple glass and wait for a couple of seconds for the foam to build.
- Garnish the cocktail with a few drops of bitters and a dehydrated orange wheel.3 drops Orange cocktail bitters, Dehydrated orange wheel
Nutrition
Ingredients & Recommendations
Of the six ingredients required for this Aperol Sour, Gin is the only alcoholic element apart from Aperol. That makes this Sour a fantastic low-ABV option. Here's all you need, including some recommendations to make this drink perfect:
- Aperol: The bittersweet, orange-hued Amaro liqueur, with its distinct, slightly herbal taste, is a must for this drink.
- Gin: Gin is only a secondary ingredient (0.75oz) with the primary purpose of increasing the ABV of the final drink because it would be too low and sweet otherwise. Opt for a classic London Dry Gin like Bombay Sapphire or Beefeater, or a gin that pairs well with Aperol. Malfy Gin, Edinburgh Seaside, or Malfy Gin con Arancia are great options.
- Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a vital part of this cocktail. If this is too tart for your taste buds, try aging the lemon juice for a few hours.
- Prosecco syrup: Homemade Prosecco syrup is the best way to sweeten this cocktail. Aperol and sparkling wine just go so well together.
- Egg white: Using egg white or aquafaba is optional, but I highly recommend it for this Aperol Sour. It improves the drink visually and creates a richer mouthfeel and a silky texture.
- Aromatic bitters: Optionally, you can garnish the drink with a few drops of aromatic cocktail bitters. Either go with classic Angostura bitters or orange bitters. The latter emphasizes the bitter orange flavors of Aperol.
- Dried orange for garnish: this is optional but is a nice little extra for your drink.
Tipps to Make an Aperol Sour
Following these easy steps in our recipe, you can mix up an Aperol Sour in no time, and with our tips, the drink will be a real winner.
Before starting with the cocktail, you should make the Prosecco syrup. It's best to make it at least a few hours in advance, so it can cool down before you use it. - It should come straight out of the fridge.
Ideally, also your glass goes for 30 minutes into the freezer before making the drink. Since the Aperol Sour is served without ice, all elements should be cold. If the freezer is not an option, put some ice into the glass and remove it before pouring the drink.
Further, for a perfect egg white foam, you need to perform a dry shake - or, alternatively, a reverse dry shake. That means you shake for about 15 seconds without ice first. Then add ice, and shake again - or vice versa.
That ensures that the foam is firm and frothy. Your cocktail will look amazing, the mouthfeel will be better, and the dried orange can sit on top and won't drown.
More Sour Cocktail variations
This Aperol-based version of a Sour makes for a beautiful light aperitif. If you want to try some more creative twists on the classic template, here are some drinks we recommend:
- The Pink Gin Sour
- The Peruvian Elder Sour
- The Shochu Apple Sour
- The Amaretto Sour
- The Trinidad Sour
Aperol Sour Recipe FAQs
An Aperol Sour cocktail is a low-ABV Sour-style drink made with Aperol, Gin, Prosecco syrup, lemon juice, and egg white. It's a tasty and refreshing summer cocktail that can be served as an apéritif.
The Aperol Sour is a mild, bittersweet cocktail that's easy to drink. Aperol has a distinct bittersweet taste of citrus, herbs, and traces of rhubarb. It is less bitter than other Amari, making it more approachable.
Typically a Sour cocktail is served in a sour glass. However, you can also fill it in a Coupe, Coupette, or a Nick and Nora glass.
Quite complex recipe considering I had to make the Prosecco syrup, too. But it was well worth it, such a treat.