Aperol Soda
The Aperol Soda is a simple highball cocktail made with Aperol and soda water. It’s essentially an Aperol spritz without prosecco and the perfect low-calorie thirst-quencher for hot, hot days.
Read more to learn all about Aperol and other Aperol cocktails, tips and tricks for making an Aperol and soda, and some suggestions for how to create your own cocktail recipes. Or just grab a glass, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make an Aperol soda!
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Ingredients
In addition to the orange garnish, this Aperol soda has just three ingredients: Aperol and soda water (or another sparkling water) and ice. Don’t forget about the ice.
Aperol – Aperol is an amaro, which means “bitter” in Italian. Aperol is one of the least bitter amari (the plural of amaro). It’s a bit sweet, with herbal and orange flavors, and has less alcohol than Campari.
The classic Aperol cocktail is an Aperol spritz, made in a classic 3-2-1 spritz formula using prosecco, Aperol, and soda water. But there are other great Aperol cocktails like the Aperol Negroni or Aperol sour.
Soda water – Soda, soda water, seltzer, and sparkling mineral water are all types of carbonated water that have varying amount of carbonation and minerals, added or natural. All of these can be used as the soda in this Aperol cocktail. Tonic water, on the other hand, has added quinine and sugar and would give your Aperol soda a very different taste. Save your tonic water for gin and tonics!
Ice – You may not think of cocktail ice as an important ingredient, but it is. The type of ice in your cocktail can do different things. For highball cocktails like this Aperol soda or a blue mojito, you want crushed ice or small ice cubes with large amounts of surface area to melt quickly.
Orange garnish – Fresh orange slices play off the orange in Aperol. Grapefruit would also work well here, or use a dehydrated orange slice or two.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Use the classic spritz ratio and sub out three of the four ounces of the soda water with Prosecco, and you have an Aperol spritz.
- Use tonic water in the same ratio of Aperol to soda water to make an Aperol tonic.
- Reduce the Aperol to one ounce and add one ounce of vodka for an Aperol vodka soda.
- Love the bitter? Sub out Aperol for Campari for a Campari soda, though you might want to increase the amount of soda water relative to Campari.
Recipe tips and tricks
Highball cocktails like this Aperol and soda or an Elderflower collins are easy and refreshing mixed drinks, combining a liquor with soda water, juice, or soda, often in a 1 to 2 ratio. Create any soda cocktail with two ounces of your favorite liquor and four ounces of soda water!
Step 1: Fill your highball glass about halfway with small ice cubes, then pour in two ounces of Aperol.
Step 2: Add an orange slice or two, a bit more ice, four ounces of soda water, and another orange slice for garnish.
Step 3: Slide in your favorite compostable or reusable straw, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
We make soda water at home with a soda stream. It saves money and saves the environment compared to buying cans or bottles. Win win.
If you’re not sipping your Aperol cocktail by the pool or beach, it would be a good pre-dinner drink with a cheese plate or bacon gougeres. Or enjoy it alongside your favorite pizza recipes or a light pasta like this pink sauce pasta or one pot pasta with ricotta and lemon.
A spirit-based amaro like Aperol should be stored with your other liquor in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight. It’s best drunk in the first year after opening, but it has no true expiration date.
Related cocktail recipes
Check out some other cocktail recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives, like:
Love cocktails and want to explore more? Read all about classic cocktails and bartender basics or join this year’s 52 weeks of cocktails challenge!
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Recipe
Aperol Soda
Equipment
- Jigger
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (60 milliliters) Aperol
- 4 ounces (120 milliliters) soda water
- 2 or 3 orange slices for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass about halfway with small ice cubes, then pour in the Aperol.2 ounces (60 milliliters) Aperol
- Add one or two orange slices, add more ice, then top with the soda water.4 ounces (120 milliliters) soda water, 2 or 3 orange slices
- Garnish with another orange slice, pop in a compostable or reusable straw, and stir if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
You’re an adventurous home cook looking for inspiration in your weeknight meals and weekend baking. Get that inspiration here: