Hey, all you Aperol lovers! This one’s for you. This gorgeous tart and citrusy Aperol sour cocktail is made with Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg whites (or vegan aquafaba). It’s a refreshing, not-too-sweet cocktail with a luscious frothy top. And while it’s similar in taste to an Aperol spritz, it has a mellower, more balanced flavor.

Aperol Gin Sour Cocktail

This refreshing, tangy cocktail is easy to make with only 5 ingredients. And it tastes as good as it looks! It combines that signature bittersweet citrus flavor of Aperol with gin, fresh lemon juice, and a splash of simple syrup. And then it’s topped with a frothy egg white or vegan aquafaba foam.

Aperol sours are perfect for serving as a pre-dinner cocktail on a warm summer evening. Or at brunch. Or really anytime! And they’re sure to wow guests.

Aperol Sour Recipe Ingredients

So here’s what you’ll need to make this Aperol sour cocktail.

APEROL: Aperol is a bitter Italian apéritif that includes ingredients like bitter oranges and rhubarb.
GIN: I recommend using a neutral-tasting gin for this recipe.
FRESH LEMON JUICE
SIMPLE SYRUP: You can use store-bought or homemade (see recipe in the notes below).
AQUAFABA or EGG WHITE: I used aquafaba in this recipe. Aquafaba is the water that is drained out of a can of chickpeas. It is naturally vegan, and it fluffs up just as nicely as an egg white. And don’t worry, it does NOT taste like chickpeas. But you can use egg white if you prefer. I’d opt for pasteurized egg whites if you go this route.
GARNISH: Garnish with a lemon or orange slice or a few dashes of bitters.

Step-By-Step-Instructions:

This Aperol sour cocktail is super simple to make. Here’s how:

ADD INGREDIENTS TO SHAKER: Add Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and aquafaba or egg white to a cocktail shaker.
ADD ICE & SHAKE HARD: Next, fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so.
STRAIN & SHAKE AGAIN: Strain into a glass and discard the ice. And then return the cocktail to the shaker and give it another good shake.
STRAIN INTO A CHILLED COUPE GLASS: Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. You might have to scoop out some of the foam with a spoon.
GARNISH & SERVE

And that’s it!

HELPFUL TOOLS:

Cocktail Recipe Tips

Here are a few helpful recipe tips:

HOMEMADE SIMPLE SYRUP: Simple syrup is super easy to make! Just add equal portions of sugar and water to a saucepan (1 cup sugar and 1 cup water) over medium heat) and cook, occasionally stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Don’t boil or simmer it. The recipe below makes a large batch, which you can store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or two.
SHAKE THE COCKTAIL TWICE: You can get away with shaking it once. But giving it an extra shake does help that gorgeous foam get nice and fluffy.
MAKE YOUR COCKTAIL EVEN MORE SOUR: If you like your cocktail on the super sour side, you can try using Campri instead of Aperol.
HOW TO USE LEFTOVER CHICKPEAS: If you opt for making this with aquafaba, you can put the leftover chickpeas to good use in this yummy (and easy) hummus recipe!

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