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If you’re looking for a classic cocktail with a sweet twist, our Aperol Americano recipe is just the ticket. It’s a delightful spin on the traditional Campari Americano, giving it a bright, summery vibe that’s perfect for leisurely sipping. Whether you’re lounging on a Saturday afternoon or enjoying a sunny day by the pool, this drink is your new go-to. Give the Aperol Americano a try today!
The Americano cocktail is a true classic, and this version keeps things simple yet delicious. With just four ingredients—Aperol, sweet vermouth, club soda, and a slice of orange—you can whip up this drink in no time. It’s a lower-alcohol alternative to many spirit-forward cocktails, making it a nice choice for leisurely sipping.
Unlike its bolder cousin, the Negroni, which packs a punch with gin, the Aperol Americano is light and refreshing. We also use Aperol in our classic Paper Airplane recipe and our Sam Ross sour recipe.
🍊 Ingredients
Campari is the traditional bitter aperitif used in the Americano cocktail, but I use Aperol. Both are classic Italian bitters, but Campari is the flashier and louder relative. Maybe the drunk uncle of the two?
Campari is more potent in alcohol (about double), darker in flavor, and quite a bit more bitter than Aperol. The bitterness is what sold me on using Aperol for this drink.
I think there is a time and place for strong bitter flavors, but I want something a bit sweeter for tall sipping drinks. Campari is an aperitif that I can take in limited quantities.
The sweeter, more subtle flavors of Aperol make it perfect for a toned-down version of the classic Americano… the Aperol Americano cocktail. The ingredients in this drink are as follows:
- Aperol
- sweet vermouth
- club soda
- orange peel, wheel, or slice
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍲 Instructions
This is about as uncomplicated as it can get. Add the Aperol and sweet vermouth to a highball glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and garnish with orange. Finally, drink it up!
🤷 Substitutions and variations
I think the obvious substitution would be to use Campari instead of Aperol. I choose Aperol because it isn’t quite as bitter and has a flavor I prefer.
If you want to kick the punch up a notch, maybe add a shot of gin or vodka. Instead of club soda, maybe prosecco or champagne would be good!
A lemon slice instead of, or in addition to, the orange could be lovely. This shouldn’t be complicated. Go sit by the pool, make what tastes good, and roll with it.
🎓 History tidbit
The classic Americano originated with Campari. Gaspare Campari created Campari in 1860. In 1867, he moved his business to the newly built Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and opened Caffè Campari overlooking Piazza Duomo. Sweet vermouth, a fortified aromatized wine, was already well established as an aperitif and cocktail ingredient.
The drink was originally known as the Milano-Torino, referring to Campari from Milan and sweet vermouth from Turin. The drink later became popular with American visitors and came to be known as the Americano. In 1919, Count Negroni reportedly asked for gin instead of soda in his Americano, giving rise to the Negroni.
❓ FAQ
Traditionally, it is Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda. Aperol is a less bitter, slightly sweeter alternative to Campari and works well in this drink too.
A Negroni is a strong, bold drink made with equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, delivering a robust mix of bitterness and botanicals. The Americano, on the other hand, is lighter and more refreshing, made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and topped with soda water instead of gin. While the Negroni is perfect for those who enjoy a potent cocktail, the Americano offers a more relaxed, easy-drinking experience, ideal for sipping on a warm afternoon.
Campari and Aperol are both Italian aperitifs, but they each bring something unique to the table. Campari, with its deep red color, packs a bold, bitter punch with notes of orange and spices, making it a key player in cocktails like the Negroni. On the other hand, Aperol is lighter, sweeter, and more approachable, with a bright orange hue and flavors of orange and rhubarb. It’s perfect for a refreshing Aperol Spritz. Campari has a considerably higher alcohol content than Aperol, which is 11% ABV.
📝 Tips and tricks
- Choose a nice sweet vermouth for this drink. The flavor depends on it.
- A highball glass is recommended, but this will work in any glass as long as you have enough club soda to fill the glass.
- For the orange garnish, use a twist, wheel, or slice.
- Lemon can be substituted for the orange.
🛠 Products used in this recipe
😋 Did you make this recipe?
If you liked this recipe, you could do me a real solid by taking some time to let me know how it went in the comment section below and rating it. If you want to see more from me, make sure to subscribe to get updates via email. Most of all, thank you for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.
Aperol Americano Cocktail
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 minute
- Yield: 1 Drink 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Pour
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Aperol Americano Cocktail is a great and simple drink. This is a slight twist on the classic and you will want more than one. It tastes great and the low alcohol content makes it a great afternoon sipper!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 fluid ounces Aperol
- 1 1/2 fluid ounces sweet vermouth
- club soda, to top
- orange peel, wheel, or slice, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the Aperol and sweet vermouth to a highball glass filled with ice.
- Top with club soda.
- Garnish with orange and serve.
Notes
- Choose a nice sweet vermouth for this drink. The flavor depends on it.
- A highball glass is recommended, but this will work in any glass as long as you have enough club soda to fill the glass.
- For the orange garnish, use a twist, wheel, or slice.
- Lemon can be substituted for the orange.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass
- Calories: 158 Calories
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 3 mg
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I’m sipping one now. Lovely drink on a hot Friday after work. Especially love that it tastes similar to an Aperol Spritz but without the added expense of Prosecco. Cheers!
Light and delicious. Unexpectedly so. The club soda somehow removes the bitterness and opens up the two syrupy ingredients to a rich flavor profile.
Fun and refreshing with the aperol. Tastes like a creamsicle, but better! Next time I’m using vanilla ice cream!
Thanks for giving it a try and visiting Ramshackle Pantry!
Interesting to use aperol because it’s less bitter, but punto e mes which is 1/3 bitter by name. I would’ve expected a less bitter vermouth if the point is to tone down bitterness
Very nice, sweet flavor. I used Rivata sweet vermouth from Italy. Thank you for the recipe!
mmm… sounds special. Thanks for trying out the recipe Larry and glad you enjoyed it!
In this time of WFH, our team has taken to virtual happy hours. This is a nice way to partake without getting sloshed in front of co-wrokers.
LOL! I like it and glad you liked it.
Such a wonderful cocktail to sip on a Friday night! Delicious, great looking and so easy to make. Love the recipe.
Thanks for the comment and it is super easy to make!
Very tasty… especially for a lower calorie cocktail. I tend to like cocktails with sweet Vermouth (maybe because I am a big wine drinker) so this is a winner.
Awesome. I really like Aperol and this cocktail is a great sipper.
This really is such an elegant twist on a classic. It sounds refreshing and divine…I wouldn’t mind sipping on one right now actually.
The only thing that is stopping you from sipping on that cocktail right now (6:54AM right now where I am) is YOU. Well, and normal social conventions. 😉
I don’t get it. Why not just have an Aperol Spritz? It’s the #1 cocktail in Italy. Aperol, Prosecco, soda water and ice.
I don’t get what there isn’t to get? Different ingredients. Different drink? If someone wants a different drink. Cool. Or have this one.
Sounds like a delicious combination, not too tart, not too sweet. Perfect for a relaxing get-together.