My drink of the week is an Aperol Fizz. Let me tell you how I discovered this cocktail.
So I just spent a week learning all about selecting, tasting and cooking with the best olive oils from the southern Italian region Puglia with the The Awaiting Table Cookery School. Most of the my fellow students came from Denver, led by chef and restaurateur Shelly Steinhaus of Bella Bistro and her husband Tim. The class took place at the Bacile Castle in a dusty little town and each evening we gathered in the large kitchen to prepare dinner as a group.
One evening Tim came to the kitchen with a bottle of Aperol, one of my favorite Italian liqueurs. Aperol is bright orange and has a pleasant bittersweet flavor that runs from citrus to flowers to herbs. The original recipe, which dates back to 1919, includes gentian root and other herbs. Aperol is part of a vast category of Italian liqueurs called amaros or bitters. Sometimes they’re sipped after dinner to settle the stomach, but they’re most often enjoyed before meals as aperitifs to help stimulate the appetite.
Tim and Shelly were served this sparkling bittersweet spritz cocktail called the Aperol Fizz when they checked into their hotel in Naples and wanted to share it with the rest of us. I couldn’t have been more pleased. The Aperol Fizz is similar to the popular Italian drink called the Aperol Spritz or Sprizz, except that it swaps the club soda for tonic water. I really liked the extra bittersweet tang from the tonic water, and think you will too.
Aperol Fizz Recipe
Makes 1 cocktail
2.5 ounces Aperol
2 ounces prosecco
splash tonic water
Orange or lemon slice, for garnish
In a rocks glass (or a wine goblet) with a few ice cubes, add the Aperol. Top with the prosecco and finish with a splash of tonic water. Garnish with a slice of orange or lemon.
