Aperol Negroni

The Aperol Negroni is the perfect sipping cocktail for you if you find Campari too bitter or you bought a bottle of Aperol for spritzes and are looking for other Aperol cocktail recipes. The Aperol Negroni is less bitter than the classic and may be my favorite Aperol recipe.

Serve this Aperol Negroni as an aperitivo as you sit on your patio, reading a book or chatting with friends. From the first sip, the citrus and herb flavor of this orange-hued cocktail will transport you to sun-kissed terraces overlooking picturesque Italian landscapes.

Ingredients

Aside from substituting Aperol for Campari, the Aperol Negroni uses the same dry gin, sweet vermouth, and orange twist as the Negroni. And it uses equal amounts of each, so it’s a cocktail formula that’s easy to remember.

Aperol vs. Campari

Italian aperitivos are pre-dinner drinks intended to stimulate the appetite. Aperol is an amaro, which means “bitter” in Italian, although it’s slightly sweet and one of the least bitter amari. It also has a lower alcohol content than Campari, coming in at 11% alcohol by volume compared to Campari’s 24% (48 proof).

The quintessential Aperol cocktail is the Aperol spritz, which has spawned lots of spritz variations like a Negroni spritz and passion fruit spritz. If you like Aperol, I’d also suggest trying Aperol sours or an Aperol and soda.

Sweet vermouth vs. dry vermouth

Vermouth is a fortified wine typically labeled as dry (white) or sweet (rosso). Dry vermouth originates from France and is, as you would expect, less sweet. You may also be able to find a sweeter white vermouth labeled blanc or bianco.

Sweet vermouth has a higher amount of residual sugar and has a spicy or peppery flavor.

Best gin for Negronis

Most classic Negroni recipes call for a London dry gin. I’m a huge fan of Tanqueray, but I also recommend Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire. These are juniper-forward gins with fewer distracting botanicals.

Ice

You may not think of cocktail ice as a critical ingredient, but it is. The type of ice in your cocktail can do different things in a drink made for sipping, like this Aperol Negroni, versus a drink that’s made to chill you quickly on a hot day.

For highball cocktails like this blue mojito, you want crushed ice or small ice cubes with large amounts of surface area to melt quickly. However, to really enjoy an aperitif like this Aperol Negroni, you want a large ice cube that will melt slowly in your rocks glass, allowing you to enjoy your cocktail without guzzling it down.

Variations and substitutions

• If you use dry vermouth in place of the sweet vermouth, that’s a Contessa cocktail.
• Try other Negroni variations like this cranberry Negroni.

Aperol Negroni taste test

When you don’t know your preference, there’s nothing better than comparing drinks to figure it out! You can do taste tests with this Aperol Negroni like for my Brandy Manhattan and Peanut Butter Manhattan.

You’ll make three Aperol Negronis. Make one with sweet vermouth like in this recipe. Make one with an ounce of dry vermouth. And make one with a half ounce of the two. If you do this comparison, please leave a comment to let me know which you prefer!

Recipe FAQs

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