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Summer Drink Recipe: Grapefruit Aperol Spritz
Brings you this fabulous spritz drink to help you keep cool during California’s dog days of summer-early fall. It’s not the end of summer in California until we endure those final “dog days” through early fall. It’ll be boiling here until Halloween! Sad for most kids because they’ve started school by now. Nice for us adults because we can sneak a dip into the pool with a nice spritzer before the kids get home from school!
Aperol Spritz Ingredients
This drink only needs Five simple ingredients plus ice.
1) Aperol
Aperol is a bright orange apéritif liquor. The way the brand describes the flavors is “zesty orange with complex herbal scents harmonized with a touch of vanilla.” 2) Prosecco
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine similar to Spanish Cava or French Champagne. I recommend choosing a dry (brut) Prosecco, so your drink doesn’t turn out too syrupy or sweet.
3) Club soda
For some fizzy dilution. Any unflavored sparkling water will work. I keep cans of sparkling water in my pantry for this purpose.
4) Grapefruit juice
For some fizzy dilution. Any unflavored sparkling water will work. I keep cans of sparkling water in my pantry for this purpose.
5)Slice of fresh Grapefruit
You can skip this if you don’t have it, but a Grapefruit slice is a classic garnish for an Aperol spritz.
How to Make an Aperol Spritz
Aperol spritz cocktails are unbelievably easy to make. No cocktail shaker or fancy equipment is required!
You’ll simply fill a wine glass with ice, then add Aperol, Prosecco, club soda, grapefruit juice, and a slice of grapefruit for a garnish.
How to Adjust Your Grapefruit Aperol Spritz
The generally accepted ratio is equal to 2 parts Aperol and Prosecco,1 part grapefruit juice, plus a splash of club soda. However, you can play around with the ratio until your Aperol spritz tastes precisely how you like it. I like mine with a little more Prosecco than Aperol.
Make it less bitter.
Aperol’s bitter notes can take some getting used to, so you can reduce the bitterness by using less Aperol and more Prosecco.
Make it less boozy.
As written, your Aperol spritz is around 11 percent alcohol content by volume (Aperol is 11% ABV, and Prosecco is 12%). To make it even lower in alcohol content, use proportionally more club soda and grapefruit juice and less Aperol and Prosecco.
Grapefruit Aperol Spritz
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Poured
- Cuisine: Italian
INGREDIENTS
Per cocktail
- Ice
- 3 ounces (2 parts) Aperol
- 3 ounces (2 parts) dry Prosecco
- 1.5 ounces of (1 part) grapefruit juice
- 1 ounce (a splash) unflavored sparkling water
- Grapefruit slice, for garnish
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INSTRUCTIONS
- Add ice to a wine glass until it is nearly full. Pour in the Aperol (I usually eyeball this and pour until I’ve filled about one-third of the glass).
- Pour in an equal amount of Prosecco. Top your drink off with a splash of club soda and add a slice of orange. Enjoy!
NOTES
MAKE IT LESS BITTER: Use less Aperol and more Prosecco.
MAKE IT LESS BOOZY: Use more club soda and grapefruit juice and less Aperol and Prosecco.