Looking to learn how to make a classic Aperol Sour recipe? You’ve come to the right place!
Take a sensory trip to the scenic Amalfi Coast while sipping a refreshing drink made with Italy’s favourite aperitif.
We love making homemade Aperol Sours in the summer, they’re the perfect cocktail to sip from an elegant coupe glass on a pretty patio.
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What Is An Aperol Sour?
Sours are a traditional family of craft cocktails.
Sours belong to one of the old families of original cocktails and are described by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks.
Sours contain a base liquor, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. Egg whites are also typically included in sour recipes to create a frothy foam.
Our Aperol Sour recipe uses gin and Aperol as the base spirit. Fresh lemon juice and egg white are shaken in an ice-filled cocktail shaker to produce a pucker-inducing drink that we know you’ll love!
It’s one of the world’s favourite Aperol Cocktails!
You may also enjoy these Sour Cocktail recipes…
- Amaretto Disaronno Sour
- Classic Boston Sour Cocktail
- Cranberry Whiskey Sour
- Disaronno Amaretto Stone Sour
- Negroni Sour Cocktail
- Peach Whiskey Sour
- Hawaiian Whiskey Pineapple Sour
- Cherry Whiskey Sour Cocktail
What is Aperol?
Aperol is an Italian bitter apéritif made of gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona, among other ingredients. It has a vibrant orange hue. Its name comes from the French slang word for aperitif, which is apero.
Aperol was originally produced by the Barbieri company, based in Padua, but is now produced by the Campari Group.
While Aperol was originally created in 1919, by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri, it did not become successful until after World War II. Although it tastes and smells much like Campari, Aperol has an alcohol content of 11%, less than half that of Campari. Aperol and Campari have the same sugar content, and Aperol is less bitter in taste. Campari is also much darker in colour.
The Spritz, also known as Aperol Spritz, is the most famous Aperol-based cocktail. A fun and refreshing way to use the liqueur is by shaking it together in this easy Aperol Sour recipe.
You may also enjoy these Aperol cocktail recipes…
- Aperol Gin Cocktail
- Aperol Aquavit Cocktail
- Aperol Negroni Cocktail
- Aperol Tequila Cocktail
- Aperol Spritz Veneziano
- Aperol Soda Cocktail
- Division Bell Mezcal Aperol Cocktail
Aperol Sour Ingredients
This sophisticated cocktail is best served in an elegant coupe glass. Scour your bar cart, fridge and cupboards to ensure you have all the ingredients you’ll need:
- Aperol
- Gin
- Lemon Juice
- Simple Syrup
- Egg White
- Orange Bitters
- Lemon Peel
Directions
An Aperol Sour is so easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes!
- PREPARE THE GLASS: Begin by preparing your cocktail glass. If desired, you can fill each coupe glass with ice to ensure they are well chilled. Set the glass aside while you prepare the drink.
- SHAKE & STRAIN: Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and then add aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and bitters. Secure the lid on the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 30-45 seconds. This step is essential for chilling the ingredients and ensuring proper dilution. Once shaken, strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe.
- GARNISH & SERVE: Decorate the rim of the glass with a lemon or orange twist.
Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Aperol Sour Recipe Tips
- We suggest serving an Aperol Sour in an elegant coupe glass.
- Feel free to add a few drops of your favourite flavoured bitters to give the drink additional complexity. We like to use orange bitters but Lemon or Rhubarb also work well.
- You can level up this cocktail for a glamorous occasion by topping the drink with champagne sparkling wine.
- An hour or two before you’re planning on serving drinks we suggest placing the aperol and gin bottles in the freezer so they are well chilled.
- We like to use an orange or lemon twist to garnish the glass but you can also use candied rhubarb, which are really eye-catching.
- If you don’t like consume raw egg white feel free to omit from the recipe. You can substitute with vegan aquafaba for a similar mouthfeel and appearance.
Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a swanky Aperol Sour Cocktail soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.
- Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
- Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
- Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
- Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
- Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
- Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
- Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
- Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
- Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
- Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
- Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
- Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
- Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
- Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
- Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
- Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.
When To Serve Aperol Sours
This sophisticated and refreshing cocktail can be enjoyed any time of year but is a favourite during the warm summer months. We love to serve it as a:
- Happy hour drink served alongside snacks like Hawaiian Creamy Coconut Shrimp, Keftedakia Roasted Greek Meatballs, or Creamy Cheesy Greek Spanakopita Dip.
- Classy guys or girls night beverage.
- Pre-drink at home before meeting friends at your local bar.
- Dinner party cocktail served with your favourite Italian dishes like Creamy Italian Risotto al Limone, Spicy Garlic Prawn and Chilli Linguine Pasta, or Burrata Caprese Salad.
How To Make An Aperol Sour Cocktail
Aperol Sour Cocktail
Equipment
- Shot Glass
- Rocks glass
- Cocktail Shaker
- Sieve
- Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
- 2 oz Aperol
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- 1 Egg White
- 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
- Lemon Peel
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add 2 ice cubes, Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and bitters.
- Shake contents of the cocktail shaker for 45 seconds – 1 minute to help froth up the egg white. The cocktail shaker should feel cold to the touch when finished.
- Pour contents of the cocktail shaker into a rock glass through a fine sieve. This will catch any leftover egg white and can be discarded.
- Garnish Aperol Sour cocktail with lemon peel.
Nutrition
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Love Aperol!