The Best Aperol Sour

For an elegant, beautiful cocktail, you will love every sip of this stunning Aperol sour! With its lively floral undertones, bright citrus notes and that frothy topping, this Aperol-gin cocktail goes down oh-so smoothly and makes for the most delightful, refreshing beverage. Whether you need a lovely apéritif cocktail for a dinner party, special-occasion drink or just a casual sipper for a night on the patio, this is your perfect recipe.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Variations
• Expert Tips
• Perfect Pairing
• Get More Sour Cocktail Recipes
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Makes a great alternative to an Aperol spritz: The Aperol spritz gets all the attention – and it is a delicious brunch cocktail, which you surely know if you’ve tried my roasted strawberry Aperol spritz. But Aperol can be so much more than that. This recipe is perfect when you want a tasty Aperol-forward cocktail that’s a bit different from the usual.

Perfect for year-round celebrations: With those light and refreshing flavors, this Aperol sour is a great summer drink, but it’s also fancy enough to serve as a special-occasion signature cocktail – think Mother’s Day, weddings, bridal showers, bachelorette parties and the holiday season. Keep this recipe in your back pocket as a reliable stand-by.

What a swoon-worthy drink: Just look at that bright orange color! This is the type of cocktail that instantly gets those delighted gasps and makes for a memorable drinking experience. You will look like the ultimate mixologist when you serve this impressive drink. 

Ingredients

Aperol: The star of the show, Aperol imparts a distinctive bittersweet flavor that makes for a sophisticated cocktail. 

Gin: We want a London dry gin here. Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray and Beefeater are all in this style and widely available. 

Lemon juice: Always go with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Bottled juice cannot deliver the same bright citrus flavor as fresh lemon juice. You will not get the same quality of cocktail without it.

Simple syrup: While you can use store-bought simple syrup, I prefer to make my own. To make your own simple syrup, bring 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring every so often to dissolve the sugar. Once it boils and the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat and let it cool. As long as you store it in a sterile, airtight container in the refrigerator, it should last for about a month.

Egg white: This is the secret ingredient to getting the velvety topping. As we shake, it whips up beautifully, and in no way does it taste eggy. 

Bitters: With Aperol being an orange liqueur, I love using orange bitters here to play up the citrus notes. That said, you can substitute it with classic angostura bitters if you prefer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Let’s start mixing. We begin by adding our Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and bitters to a cocktail shaker (photo 1).

Step 2: Before adding ice, we put on the cocktail shaker top and shake the mixture for 30 seconds (photo 2). This is called a dry shake. By using a dry shake method, the egg white can better incorporate with the other ingredients and build a stronger frothy topping.

Step 3: Now we take off the top and add a handful of ice cubes(photo 3). We put the top back on and shake again for at least a minute. You guessed it – this is our wet shake.

Step 4: From here, we strain the Aperol sour into a chilled glass (photo 4). For the perfect finishing touch, I love garnishing my sour cocktails with a lemon twist, though this is optional. 

In just four easy steps, we have the prettiest Aperol cocktail in all the land. All that’s left is to savor every sip. 

Recipe FAQs

Variations

Use an infused simple syrup to give it a flavor twist. My homemade ginger simple syrup, for instance, would add a lovely touch of spice to this Aperol sour recipe. You'd also love this lavender syrup for some floral notes.

Muddle some fresh herbs with simple syrup before adding the other ingredients. Mint or basil would add a nice liveliness and pop of fresh flavor, or you could use rosemary, thyme or sage for a more savory route.

Add your favorite citrus juice besides lemon. Grapefruit juice or orange juice could make great additions.

Not a fan of gin? No problem. Vodka makes a perfect substitute.

Expert Tips

Opt for a mason jar: If you use a stainless steel cocktail shaker, it may have trouble sealing during the dry shake, which can get a little messy. That’s because it relies on ice to help seal the shaker. You might find it’s easier to dry shake in a mason jar with a solid lid or at least cover the seam with a kitchen towel while shaking. If you have a cocktail shaker with a rubber lining on the top, I find they seal better during the dry shake. 

Use two hands for a proper shaking technique: We need a vigorous shake to properly froth up the egg white. Shaking with one hand won’t give you enough force.

Make sure your egg white is fresh or pasteurized: These days, including an egg white is common with minimal risk, but to be extra safe, use fresh egg whites that have been inspected and store them in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Pasteurized egg whites are also safe for cocktail mixing.

Prepare the base ahead of time for easy entertaining: While you can’t add the egg white until right before mixing, you can certainly prepare the Aperol-gin cocktail base up to 24 hours before serving. You’ll find the proportions in the recipe card.  

Maximize lemon juice output: Before juicing the lemon, roll it firmly on the countertop under your hand. This gets those delightful juices flowing.

Perfect Pairing

Smoked salmon is lovely with the citrusy, floral notes of both the Aperol and gin, and I have just the recipe for you – this smoked salmon-pesto pizza. You’ll love how the drink’s citrus brightens the salmon, and that herby pesto complements the more earthy notes. Plus, it’s a lighter pizza that can work as an appetizer, similar to a flatbread, so it falls right into that pre-dinner category. This smoked salmon dip from All Ways Delicious is also a tasty option.

For the most beautiful, refreshing cocktail that’s perfect for any occasion, I hope you try this Aperol sour. You will adore those lively, bright flavors with that luscious, silky texture for one fancy Italian aperitivo. 

Cheers! 

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