Earlier this year when we were in Italy, we refreshed ourselves with Aperol Spritzes, that familiar bright orange aperitif composed of Aperol, Prosecco, and Club Soda. While I have nothing but praise for this lovely beverage, I wanted to make a cocktail that paid homage to the classic, but with more of a fresh citrus flavor.
Aperol liqueur is made from oranges but also herbs, other fruits, tree bark and roots. It has a bitter sweet quality and is neon orange in color. Inspired by a recipe by Jordan Hamons of The Hungry Traveler, I added Bourbon and freshly squeezed citrus fruits to the Aperol for a new summer favorite. I hope that you enjoy it.
The ingredients: Aperol, Bourbon, freshly squeezed juice from grapefruit, orange, and lemon, and citrus bitters.
Juice the fruits. You can strain the juice if you prefer, but I enjoy the tiny pieces of pulp.
Pour everything into a shaker and add ice.
Shake shake shake!
Pour into ice filled glasses (chilled glasses are a nice touch) and add a slice of orange.
Citrus, Aperol and Bourbon Cocktail makes 2 cocktails
2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
2 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Aperol
2 dashes citrus bitters
Pour all the ingredients into a shaker; add ice and shake vigorously. Pour into two ice filled glasses. Add a thin slice of orange for garnish. You can strain the citrus juices first if you prefer.
“Cin cin” also known as “Cheers”