Aperol Lift
My friend and fellow writer, Tod Stewart, gave me a bottle of Aperol recently. Admittedly, I’d never heard of it before. It’s a liqueur, kind of sweet with a bitter finish. Beautiful on its own, it’s most often used in accompaniment with other liquid delights in the form of cocktails. I do like liqueurs. So, I was pretty pleased to obtain a bottle of this mysterious red Italian libation.
Aperol is similar to Campari in terms of its bitter finish. But, Aperol is considerably sweeter at the start. This liqueur would make the perfect refresher on a sweltering summer day.
Here’s my new favourite cocktail-lite.
1-1/2 oz Aperol
Sparkling water
Fill a glass (any kind you’d like) with ice cubes. Add Aperol, and top off with sparkling water. Stir.
You can use Sparkling Wine in place of water, or even Club Soda for more of a Spritz style. I love a bitter finish in a cocktail. Sweet treats are fine sometimes. But, I find the bitterness cleanses the palate and leaves me feeling refreshed. Try one for yourself.