This Aperol Grapefruit Margarita combines tart grapefruit, bitter orange Aperol and tequila in a cocktail delicious for brunch or Mexican night.
Category: Drinks
Aperol Spritz
A bubbly, refreshing cocktail, the Aperol Spritz is a new favorite for enjoying on a warm afternoon or evening.
Have you ever had an Aperol Spritz? Or Aperol on its own or in another cocktail?
I hadn’t until last spring. I had met up with three of my cousins in Nashville for a fun girls weekend – a weekend of catching up, of exploring a new city, and of eating and drinking lots of amazing food and drink. (One of these days, I’ll get around to actually creating a travel post in a timely manner…)
That first afternoon in Nashville, after hours of walking, my cousin, a fellow foodie, and I popped into a bar to wait for others to arrive and give our tired feet a break. There, she introduced me to the Aperol Spritz.
It was light and refreshing. It was bubbly. It was just what I needed that day… and since then, I’ve been itching to buy myself a bottle of Aperol to make this cocktail at home. I only wish I hadn’t waited so long to do so.
An Aperol Spritz is crazy easy, and just 4 ingredients.
- Aperol: an Italian orange aperitif. It’s got a bittersweet flavor that keeps this cocktail from being too sweet
- Prosecco: use dry (brut) prosecco
- Club Soda: just a splash
- An orange slice or wedge: an optional garnish
And the best part is? No cocktail shaker, no stirring – the bubbles do the mixing for you. Just fill a glass with ice and add the ingredients and voila! A refreshing cocktail that takes just minutes to make.
Recipe Notes:
- You don’t really need a recipe to make this. The general rule of thumb for the cocktail is equal parts Aperol and prosecco, splash of club soda, garnish. Your “equal parts” might be a bit more or less than the below based on the size of your glass.
- If the cocktail is too sweet for you, decrease the amount of Aperol and increase the amount of prosecco until you’re happy.
Print
Aperol Spritz
A bubbly, refreshing cocktail, the Aperol Spritz is a new favorite for enjoying on a warm afternoon or evening.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 Cocktail
Calories 205 kcal
Ingredients
- ice
- 3 oz. Aperol
- 3 oz. dry Prosecco
- 1/2-1 oz. club soda really just a splash
- orange slice or wedge for garnish, optional
Instructions
-
Fill a wine or highball glass with ice, almost to the top. Add Aperol and Prosecco. Finish with a splash of club soda and garnish with orange. Enjoy.
By Books n’ Cooks
Gin & {Cranberry-Orange} Jam Cocktail
A customizable, 3-ingredient cocktail made from ingredients you likely always have on hand, this Gin & (Cranberry Orange) Jam Cocktail is a refreshing fall sipper.
The Classic Cosmo
A perfectly balanced cocktail of cranberry juice, a splash of lime, vodka and orange liquor, the Classic Cosmo is one of my favorite ways to celebrate an evening with the girls.
My mom and I have a tradition. Every time we see each other, we have Cosmos, or Cosmopolitans. No matter whose house we are at, I’m the barista – despite the simple recipe, Mom hasn’t always had the best luck, but she’s getting better! Besides, it’s always good for a daughter to cater to her mother every once and a while. 😉
So before Mom comes to visit, I check the bar and make sure I have enough ingredients. The extended family coming? I buy fresh bottles of everything, because some how, I spend the weekend making Cosmos for all of the women in my family. But you know what? I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ve been making the same Classic Cosmo for so many years that I don’t even need a recipe any more. It’s actually surprising that I haven’t shared this recipe before, given that I’ve shared other recipes that are a twist on this one (Champagne Cosmos for Christmas and New Years Brunch, Smirnoff Ice Cosmos, Pomegranate Cosmos…). So yeah, I suppose it’s about time I shared this one with you.
Like any good cocktail, there’s a simple formula to learn – and then it’s a piece of cake. Ready?
2:1:1
Two parts cranberry juice, one part high quality vodka, one part orange liquor (the higher quality, the better). And then a splash of lime juice, which you could omit if you’re out. That’s it. Easy right?
But really, this is a forgiving cocktail and I encourage you to experiment a bit and adjust to your taste.
- Ratio: I like the above ratio because it’s a bit sweeter, but I know that a lot of people use a 1:1:1 ration – and that’s just too strong for me.
- The Juice: I’ve used various cranberry juices / juice cocktails before and all come out well. My preference is actually pure, unsweetened cranberry juice, which is not quite as sweet as the cranberry juice cocktail that is pictured above. But not going to lie, I like having those little bottles around when I’m not entertaining and want to indulge in a drink myself. Ditto the lime juice – fresh is best, but I’m not opposed to using a little squirt of the bottled or skipping it all together if I don’t have any in the house.
- The Liquor: Here’s where I’m a bit of a snob – you can use any high quality vodka, but I almost always use Gray Goose. Where I will switch things up a bit is the orange liquor. Grand Marnier is my go-to, but if I have Cointreau or even Triple Sec in the house, I’ll use those too.
And because today happens to be National Martini Day, my blogging friends and I have a few more Martini recipes to share with you – some more traditional and some more fun and unique. Check them out:
- Bikini Martini from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb! Martini from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Classic Cosmo from Books n’ Cooks
- Classic Lemon Drop from Our Good Life
- Coconut Ciroc Martini from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Coconut Orange Mango Martini from Daily Dish Recipes
- Creamy Chocolate Martini from Sweet Beginnings
- The Dirty Martini from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- French Martini from Food Above Gold
- Hawaiian Martini from Family Around the Table
- Strawberry Lemonade Martini from Palatable Pastime
- Tamarillo-tini from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Watermelon Guava Martini from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Print
The Classic Cosmo
A perfectly balanced cocktail of cranberry juice, a splash of lime, vodka and orange liquor, the Classic Cosmo is one of my favorite ways to celebrate an evening with the girls.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 260 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. good quality vodka
- 1 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
- 3 oz. cranberry juice
- splash of lime juice
- lime wedges or slices, for garnish optional
Instructions
-
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add vodka, Grand Marnier, cranberry juice, and lime juice. Shake well for 10 seconds, until cocktail is chilled. Pour, straining out the ice, into martini glass. Serve immediately.
Blackberry Tequila Cooler
A make ahead cocktail to serve a crowd, this Blackberry Tequila Cooler combines sweet blackberries, tart lime, and bubbly wine for a light and refreshing summer cocktail.
I had planned on saving this post to share for later this summer, during Farmer’s Market Week, but life got in the way and I wasn’t able to make the recipe I had planned for this week. I’m trying really hard to stick to an editorial calendar – cooking, reading, and blogging in a way that gives you a good assortment of posts while simultaneously allowing me to get ahead a bit and not be flailing from week to week.
I’ve been doing pretty good so far – at least on the getting ahead front. But I’m still mostly drafting posts week-to-week, while I prep for some bigger events coming up (Summer Desserts Week! Farmer’s Market Week! and before you know it, it’ll be fall and I’ll be all about apples and squash and cranberries). Coupled with my daughter giving me her cooties this week and my husband being away, life just didn’t work out as planned.
But that’s ok. I had a great week, even with a sore throat, frog-like voice and sniffles. My mom came to visit. We went strawberry picking and then made 6 batches of our favorite strawberry jam. She also made a quick batch of my grandma’s bread and butter pickles, as I had received more cucumbers from my local CSA than I knew what to do with. She left at the same time as my husband so I flew solo for the week.
Apart from working one day, I actually had a super productive week. I got a pesto made, photographed, and stashed in the freezer. I made a mini-muffin version of this Chocolate Zucchini Bread for the kid’s lunchboxes (although I call it Chocolate Cake, so that they don’t reject it before tasting it). And I’ve spend a lot of time picking up the piles of stuff that have accumulated all over the house, over the past couple of months – thanks to several generous sponsors and near constant travel throughout the spring. Yes, I’m feeling pretty good.
Now if only I could relax this evening, after a busy week, with a glass of this Blackberry Tequila Cooler. I made this recipe a few weeks ago when we had friends over, and it was a bright, tart cocktail that was super refreshing in the hot afternoon sun. I really liked that it could be made before guests arrived, and then stashed in the fridge for easy serving.
Despite the times noted below, I did keep the tequila mixture – in the fridge, and enjoyed it over the course of a couple of days, just giving a quick stir and topping with the sparkling wine just before serving.
Print
Blackberry Tequila Cooler
A make ahead cocktail to serve a crowd, this Blackberry Tequila Cooler combines sweet blackberries, tart lime, and bubbly wine for a light and refreshing summer cocktail.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Refrigerate 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 323 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar OR 1 c. simple syrup
- 8 sprigs fresh mint more for garnish, if desired
- 5 oz. fresh blackberries (about 1 cup)
- 2 c. fresh lime juice (from about 16 limes)
- 8 dashes angostura bitters
- 1 1/2 c. chilled reposado tequila
- 2 c. dry sparkling wine chilled
- Optional Garnishes: addition springs of mint, slices of lime, etc.
Instructions
Make the Simple Syrup:
-
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar with 1 cup of cold water. Heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves. Cook for 3 minutes, before removing from heat and allowing to cool, about 5 minutes.
Make the Blackberry-Mint Syrup:
-
In a blender, combine 1 c. simple syrup, leaves from mint sprigs, and blackberries. Puree until smooth.
-
Using a fine mesh sieve, strain mixture into a bowl or glass, pressing down with a rubber spatula to get as much of the syrup as possible, about 1 cup. Refrigerate until cold - at least 1 hour, but as long as 3 days.
-
Next, transfer blackberry syrup to a large glass serving pitcher. Add bitters, tequila, and 1 1/2 c. cold water to the pitcher and stir. If serving immediately, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, the cocktail can be returned to the fridge for up to another day.
-
Add lime juice to pitcher and stir to combine. If serving immediately, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, the cocktail can be returned to the fridge for up to 2 more hours.
-
Serve: Stir cocktail mixture before pouring about 5 oz. of mixture into a glass filled halfway with ice. Top with 3-4 oz. sparkling wine. Garnish with additional springs of mint or slices of lime, if desired, and serve immediately.
This recipe was adapted from Rachel Ray Every Day, June 2019 (p 47).
