The Spirit World

Aperol is a product you might be finding appearing on liquor shelves more often these days. You might be intrigued by its slightly festive looking bottle looking classic, without appearing outdated.

I find that the best way to describe Aperol, is that it is a very mild version of Campari. It has that same balance of bitter sweetness, but with the volume turned way down. You can essentially use it in any drink you might otherwise have used Campari in, and it should be not only more approachable, but would also help you get accustomed to this flavor profile which appears in a variety of Italian aperitifs. While its recipe is one of those “closely guarded secrets”, some of the ingredients are known, which include bitter orange, gentian, cinchona, and rhubarb.

Aperol was first introduced in 1919 at the first “Padova Fiere”,  a trade exhibition held in Padova Italy (aka. “Padua”, the setting for Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”) created to try to help Padova rebuild its business district, which was seriously damaged (physically, financially, and spiritually) after the World War I. It was created by the Barbieri Company, who were attempting to create a light and flavorful aperitif with slightly lower alcohol content. At 11%, it even has less alcohol than most wines. The product struggled for a while, but following World War II, its popularity grew, and was soon found in most bars and homes across Italy.

The brand was purchased by “Barbero 1891” in the 1990’s to build up their portfolio of products, and then in 2003, “Barbero 1891” was in turn purchased by The Campari Group, where it joined the ranks of Campari, Cynar, Cizano, and various other aperitifs and spirits.

If you try looking for recipes calling for Aperol, you will soon discover that there really isn’t a lot out there. The most commonly seen recommendations are to simply serve it over ice, or with a splash of soda or champagne. Simple enough, but not terribly exciting or original.

When I recently saw a bottle of Aperol at one of my local bars, and being equally curious as to how people might be drinking it, I asked the bartender what he used it in. Picking the bottle up with a quizzical glare, he admitted that they usually just serve it over the rocks, and even that, not very often.

I decided to see if I could come up with a cocktail that might work well to showcase the product, but at the same time illustrate some of the components of a classic cocktail.

Gin seemed like an obvious starting point, but just gin and Aperol seemed far too simple. It needed something to add some additional character, without hiding anything. It suddenly struck me that just a dash of scotch would be just the thing. The result I must say was pretty good on the first try. In honor of Padova/Padua and its fictional home for “The Taming of the Shrew”, I’ll christen it the “Petruchio”.

Petruchio

• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz Aperol
• 1 Dash Scotch (preferably a Single Malt, but blended would work too)

Stir with ice, serve in a cocktail glass.
Garnish with an orange twist.