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Browsing Tag: aperol

Paper Plane

I recently had this cocktail at a restaurant near my office. Yeah, it was happy hour so I thought, “What the heck?”  Well, I liked it a lot even though this establishment made every effort to ensure I would never return! Anyway, I thought I could tweak this beauty a wee bit and share it with you. This cocktail, created by New York’s Sam Ross (of Penicillin fame), uses equal parts of 4 ingredients (Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice) to produce a beautiful and delicious drink. Given that one of the essential ingredients is difficult to get in my area (Amaro Nonino), I am going to make a substitution and an addition to compensate. The result is an interesting interpretation which I…

Holiday Spritz

Do you think the spritz is a drink for summer only? Well, here is a holiday cocktail based on sparkling wine from those creative geniuses at America’s Test Kitchen. A friend mentioned I should try this one and well, it is just about perfect as an easy sipper at a holiday party. It pairs well with all those rich, delicious holiday foods from appetizers to dessert. The combination of St. Germain, Aperol, and sweet vermouth with sparkling wine is uncommon, but it really works. Of course, I tweaked my version by substituting Lillet Blanc for the sweet vermouth and increasing the St. Germain by a small amount. The results are outstanding in my opinion. Make it and see for yourself… I think you will definitely…

Fateful Twist

Tonight’s cocktail is a variation of Jessica Torres‘ Twist of Fate at the blog OneMartini – a wonderful cocktail pairing blood orange and rye. My tweak was to start with a basic Manhattan (rye and sweet vermouth) and substitute some of the vermouth with Aperol and blood orange juice. The result is a dusky hued drink with spicy, sweet, citrus, and herbal flavors with a most pleasing fragrance. So let’s take advantage of blood orange season and make a cocktail or two with this delicious fruit.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the unique flavor it brings to the party. And thanks for the inspiration Jessica! Save Print Twist of Fate Prep time:  5 mins Total time:  5 mins…

Aperol Spritz

I bet everyone thought I forgot about the Friday cocktail post, right?  Well, I did not – I would never do that to you, would I? (wink wink)  Tonight, I am enjoying a light and bright Aperol Spritz. This cocktail is well suited to warm summer days as well as cool fall evenings. Aperol is a nearly century old Italian aperitivo liqueur based on an infusion of selected roots and herbs. The flavor is robust and unique – slightly sweet citrus with a minor bitter note. My take on this drink is easily prepared with readily available ingredients – additional citrus flavor in the form of Grand Imperial with an orange twist and a dry Italian prosecco with a splash of soda in addition to the Aperol. Simply…