LiqueursHigh confidence

Aperol

Aperol is a bright orange Italian aperitif liqueur, lighter and less bitter than Campari, flavoured with bitter orange, rhubarb, and gentian. Its lower alcohol content and gentler bitterness make it especially approachable. It is best known as the centerpiece of easy, low-alcohol spritz-style cocktails.

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Common uses

core ingredient in low-alcohol spritz cocktails
mixed with sparkling wine and soda

Buying & storage

Keeps more or less indefinitely: Alcohol is preserving it. An open bottle keeps for a very long time, though aromatics do fade slowly.

Buying: Widely stocked and consistent, so buy on price. Its lower strength and higher sweetness compared with Campari make it the better first purchase if you are new to bitter drinks.

Storage: keeps well once opened, store upright away from light

In depth

Understanding aperol

How it is made, where it comes from, what it pairs with, and how it behaves in an alcohol-free drink.

How it's made

A bitter aperitif produced in Padua since 1919, infused with bitter and sweet orange, rhubarb and gentian among others. It is considerably lower in alcohol and noticeably sweeter than Campari, which is why it functions as most people's entry point to bitter drinking rather than as a spirit-strength modifier.

Origin

An Italian aperitif created in Padua, Italy, in 1919.

What it pairs with

Prosecco and soda, in that order — the Spritz is the format it was designed for. Also grapefruit, orange and gin. Its sweetness means it rarely needs any added sugar alongside it.

In alcohol-free drinks

Alcohol-free bitter aperitifs are built to fill exactly this slot, and this is the drink category where they perform best — a spritz format gives them carbonation and dilution to hide behind.

How to build a balanced mocktail →

Recipes