Aperol Margarita

This Aperol margarita recipe is one of my favorite summer margaritas to make at home! I personally love Aperol and tequila, so combining these two things makes one of my favorite cocktail recipes. 

You'll love this Aperol margarita

It's easy to make. This is such an easy and unique twist on the classic margarita recipe, especially if you always have Aperol on hand. You can make this cocktail in no time!

It's refreshing. It is so crisp and the perfect balance of sweet with a bite! If you love a classic Aperol spritz and tequila, you will love this.

It can be made as a batched cocktail. ​Since there are no sparkling components to this margarita, it's super easy to make a batched version for your next happy hour or backyard party! 

Ingredients

Aperol. There is really no true substitute for Aperol, so I recommend always keeping a bottle of Aperol on your home  ​bar cart.

Tequila. I recommend using Blanco tequila for this recipe, that's my preferred tequila for a traditional margarita recipe or any margarita recipe I am making. 

Triple Sec. Triple Sec is essential for any margarita recipe. You may see the more popular cousin to Triple Sec, Cointreau or Gran Marnier being used to make margarita recipes. These are all types of orange liqueur and can all be used in this recipe.

Orange Juice. I highly recommend using fresh orange juice for this recipe. You can taste the difference and you only need an ounce, so you only have to juice about half an orange for the perfect cocktail. 

Lime Juice. To add a bit of sourness and traditional margarita taste, I like including about half an ounce of fresh lime juice. 

How to make an Aperol margarita

1. In a margarita glass, combine 1 oz Aperol, 2 oz tequila, ½ oz triple sec, 1 oz fresh orange juice, and ½ oz fresh lime juice.
2. Stir and add fresh ice.
3. Garnish and enjoy!

Tip:​ you can always use a cocktail shaker to mix up your cocktail! 

Substitutions and variations

Tequila.​ I use tequila blanco, but you could also use reposado tequila in this recipe. 

Grapefruit Juice.​ I also love the combination of grapefruit juice and Aperol, so if you want to make this into an Aperol grapefruit margarita, substitute out the orange juice for grapefruit juice. 

Making batched Aperol margaritas

This batched margarita recipe makes 10 drinks.

1. Add 2.5 cups of tequila, 1 ¼ cups of Aperol, 5 oz triple sec, 1 ¼ cups of orange juice, and 5 oz of fresh lime juice to a pitcher. 
2. Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
3. To serve, pour 4 oz of the drink into a cocktail glass filled with ice, garnish, and enjoy!

Garnish ideas

• Orange wedge
• Lime wedge
• Orange wheel
• Orange twist

FAQs

What is the flavor of Aperol?

There is an orange bitter taste to Aperol, and some people are turned off by the bitterness of Aperol! It's truly one of my favorite things to keep stocked on my bar cart at all times. 

Is Aperol the same as Campari?

It is not! Campari has more of a bitter taste and less of an orange taste than Aperol, in my opinion.

Can you use Aperol instead of triple sec?

I would advise against it. 

Want more Aperol cocktail recipes?

• Amalfi Spritz
• Aperol Negroni
• Peach Aperol Spritz

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