Aperol Negroni
Gin, Aperol and sweet vermouth in equal parts. The Negroni with the bitterness turned down — orange, sweet and bright, and the one to give someone who says they do not like Campari.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a rocks glass with ice, ideally one large cube.
Add the gin, Aperol and sweet vermouth directly to the glass.
Stir for about 20 seconds until cold.
Garnish with an orange slice or an expressed orange peel.
A thoughtful finish
- Aperol is sweeter and half the strength of Campari, so the drink is softer and lighter; if it tastes too sweet, use a drier vermouth or a touch more gin.
- A juniper-heavy gin keeps it from sliding into Aperol Spritz territory.
- Build it in the glass. It is a Negroni; it does not need a mixing glass.
Common mistakes
- Using a sweet, rich vermouth with the Aperol. Sweet on sweet makes it cloying.
- Thinking it is low-alcohol. It is lighter than a Negroni but still over 20% ABV.
- Topping with soda by reflex. That is an Aperol Spritz with gin, which is also fine, but not this.
A few good questions.
How is it different from a Negroni?
Aperol in place of Campari. Aperol is orange rather than bitter-orange, sweeter, and 11% ABV rather than 24%, so the drink is gentler on every axis.
Is it the same as a Negroni Sbagliato?
No. The Sbagliato replaces the gin with prosecco; this replaces the Campari with Aperol. Both are lighter than a Negroni in different ways.
Can I do half Campari, half Aperol?
Yes, and it is one of the best ways to make a Negroni for someone who finds Campari too much. The split is sometimes called a 'Contessa' or simply a mixed Negroni.
What vermouth?
A standard Italian sweet vermouth. Nothing too rich — the Aperol already brings sugar.
Variations
- Negroni — The original, with Campari.
- Negroni Sbagliato — Prosecco in place of gin.
- Aperol Spritz — Aperol, prosecco and soda.
- Boulevardier — Bourbon in place of gin, with Campari.
Where it comes from
c. 2000s · Italy and the United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Swapping Aperol for Campari in a Negroni is the obvious move once Aperol is on the back bar, and bartenders in Italy and the United States made it independently as Aperol’s export push of the 2000s put it everywhere. Nobody owns it; it is sometimes sold as a ‘Negroni Light’ or an ‘Orange Negroni’, and in Venice, where Aperol comes from, it needs no name at all. It sits between the Negroni and the Aperol Spritz in both bitterness and strength, and it is the Negroni most people actually prefer the first time they try one.
Sources
- Gary Regan, The Negroni, 2015 (book)
- Robert Simonson, Modern Classic Cocktails, 2022 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Aperol Negroni, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.18 US standard drinks at an estimated 19.7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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