Aperol
Aperol is a low-proof Italian bitter aperitif liqueur, bright orange-red in color, made from a closely guarded blend of bitter and sweet orange, gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona bark. At around 11% ABV it's milder and sweeter than its cousin Campari, which is why it works as a mixer rather than a sipping spirit on its own. It's the defining ingredient in the Aperol Spritz, the prosecco-and-soda cocktail that made it a household name outside Italy.
Varieties
Aperol and Campari are often confused but are quite different: Aperol is about 11% ABV and noticeably sweeter and more orange-forward, while Campari is around 24% ABV and much more bitter. Select Aperitivo, a Venice-born liqueur, sits closer to Aperol in both sweetness and orange character, which is why it's the most common swap when building a spritz.
Buying tips
Aperol comes in a distinctive squat bottle with an orange label; there's no vintage to check, but buying from a shop with steady turnover matters more than usual because prolonged shelf exposure to light and heat can dull the color and flatten the citrus notes before the bottle is even opened.
Substitutes
Campari — 1:2
Much more bitter and nearly twice the ABV, so use about half as much and add a touch more soda or a splash of orange juice to balance the sweetness Aperol would have provided.
Select Aperitivo — 1:1
A Venetian bittersweet orange liqueur built for the same spritz format; closer in sweetness and color to Aperol than Campari is.
Cappelletti Aperitivo Rosso — 1:1
Herbal and slightly more rustic than Aperol, with a deeper red color, but works in the same 3-2-1 spritz proportions.
Suze — 1:1
Gentian-forward rather than orange-forward, giving a more bitter, less citrusy spritz; good if you want a drier drink.
Crodino — 1:1
A non-alcoholic Italian bittersweet soda designed as an aperitivo; swap it in directly for an alcohol-free spritz, skipping the prosecco.
Storage
An unopened bottle keeps for years in a cool, dark pantry away from direct light, which fades the orange-red color over time. Once opened, Aperol is fine at room temperature for a few months, but refrigerating it after opening slows flavor and color loss and keeps it tasting fresh well past six months.
How to use
Most commonly built as an Aperol Spritz using a 3-2-1 ratio of prosecco, Aperol, and soda water over ice, garnished with an orange slice. It also works in an Aperol sour, spritzed into a paloma-style drink with grapefruit soda, or reduced into a syrup for glazes and sorbets where its bitter-orange edge cuts through sweetness.
What it pairs with
Built for pairing with prosecco and soda water, but also good alongside salty snacks like potato chips, green olives, and prosciutto, which balance its bitter-sweet profile the way it's traditionally served as an Italian pre-dinner drink.
Nutrition
A 1.5-ounce pour of Aperol runs about 80-90 calories, almost entirely from sugar, since it's a liqueur rather than a distilled spirit. At 11% ABV it's roughly a third the alcohol strength of a typical gin or vodka by volume.
FAQ
Is 'Aperol spritzer' the same thing as an Aperol Spritz?
They're often used interchangeably, but technically a spritzer refers to still wine cut with soda water, while an Aperol Spritz is built with prosecco, not still wine, plus Aperol and soda. The name got shortened to 'spritzer' informally, but the actual cocktail uses sparkling wine.
Can I make an Aperol Spritz with Campari instead?
Yes, this makes a Campari Spritz, which is drier and more bitter since Campari is roughly double the ABV and less sweet. Cut the Campari amount slightly and add a splash more soda water to keep the drink balanced.
How strong is an Aperol Spritz?
The finished drink usually lands around 8% ABV, similar to a strong beer, because the low-proof Aperol gets further diluted by prosecco and soda water in the standard 3-2-1 build.
Does an opened bottle of Aperol go bad?
It won't spoil in the food-safety sense, but the bright orange color and fresh citrus notes fade noticeably after several months once opened, especially if the bottle sits in a warm or sunlit spot rather than the refrigerator.
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