Aperol sour is a surprisingly good cocktail that will broaden your horizons; once you taste this, you’ll notice that any spirit can be used for a sour, and Aperol is perhaps one of the best.
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What is Aperol Sour ?
Aperol sour is a twist on the classic anything-sour, with a spirit base and egg white for foam. It seems this version stems from a gin sour, since it has a very small amount of gin, aside from Aperol.
Overall this is an interesting cocktail, by combination alone if not by flavor. Here’s how to make one.

Aperol Sour Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Aperol
- 0.5 oz gin
- 0.75 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 0.5 oz egg white or half an egg white
Instructions
- In a shaker combine Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white. Dry shake for a few seconds (without ice).
- Open the shaker carefully, add in some ice. Shake until cooled.
- Strain into chilled coupe glass.
Notes
When is this drink best ?
Aperol sour is a great winter cocktail, due to the strong citrus notes in the Aperol (orange) and the lemon juice.
Since it’s a sour, it has that silky egg finish and this makes it an elegant cocktail that’s meant to be savored and enjoyed sip by sip. I could see this as a fancy dinner cocktail, or perhaps even part of a winter themed party.
My thoughts on Aperol Sour
I liked Aperol sour, perhaps the most out of all the versions of a sour I ever tried. I’m a big fan of Aperol, so pairing it with lemon juice made it stand out more, and the egg foam was actually a lot of fun.
I think the gin is easily lost in this; Aperol has a strong flavor and if you want to feel the gin more, you need more gin than Aperol.
Overall I’d say this is a beautiful mix of sweet and sour citrus, with a pleasant and delicate foam head and silky body. Definitely a good excuse to finally get that Aperol bottle.
If you like Aperol Sour, you might also like…
Lucien Gaudin – Aperol, gin, triple sec, dry vermouth come together to make a very strong cocktail
Aperol Spritz – a bubbly mix of Aperol, club soda, and sparkling wine
Gin Sour Classic – the classic version of a gin sour
Vodka Sour – a gin sour with vodka instead
Notes, substitutes, and tips
The egg white in this is meant to make a lot of foam, and to make the entire body of this drink silky smooth. But, you can swap the egg white for aquafaba, the water in chickpea cans. Aquafaba has enough protein that it will foam up just like egg white, and you can safely use it in your drink.