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    Home » Recipes » Cocktails

    Published: Feb 28, 2024 · Modified: Feb 29, 2024 by Pate Giltner 3 Comments

    Aperol Old Fashioned

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    If you love the Aperol Spritz and are a bourbon fan, then this Aperol Old Fashioned is perfect for you! This sweet and citrusy old bourbon cocktail combines bourbon whiskey, Aperol, simple syrup, orange, and cherry bitters to make the most delightful drink! 

    An aperol old fashioned garnished with an orange wedge and a cherry sitting on a pink marble table.

    Bourbon and orange are such a delicious flavor combination, especially when using a bourbon with lots of orange and citrus notes. I used Angels Envy for the recipe, and it came out beautifully! 

    I love an old fashioned but also love how many riff and flavor versions you can make; just check out my How to make a perfect Old Fashioned post, banana bread old fashioned, or this bourbon espresso old fashioned.  

    Jump to:
    • ⭐ Why you will love this recipe:
    • 🥘 Key Ingredients:
    • 🔪 How to make this recipe:
    • 💭 Expert tips:
    • Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
    • Aperol Old Fashioned

    ⭐ Why you will love this recipe:

    1. Perfect for Aperol spritz lovers! This takes the beloved Aperol falvor and mixes it with a sweet orange-y bourbon.
    2. Makes the most out of bourbon with notes of orange and citrus. 
    3. So easy! This is so easy to make and can all be assembled in one glass.
    The ingredients for the aperol spritz on a pink marble table.

    🥘 Key Ingredients:

    Bourbon: Bourbon is the key ingredient in any old-fashioned, and for this one, using a bourbon that blends well with and brings out the orange flavor in the Aperol. A sweet bourbon with notes of orange is our favorite.

    🥃 What is the best bourbon for this cocktail:

    Angels Envy is my favorite for this cocktail because it blends so well with orange flavors in the Aperol and is a sweet, clean, and smooth bourbon. 

    Aperol: Aperol is a bitter-sweet Italian apéritif with orange, rhubarb, and various herbs. It shines in this old fashioned where its sweet yet slightly bitter flavor is harmonized with bourbon and bitters. It's also wonderful in the iconic Aperol spritz and its variations, like this Strawberry Aperol Spritz and this Cranberry Aperol Spritz.

    Simple syrup: I used a homemade simple syrup that is 1 cup water to 1 cup granulated sugar. But a store-bought version works great as well!

    Bitters: We used orange and spiced cherry bitters to finish this drink, and the subtle hint of cherry and the added orange really round out the cocktail. 

    See recipe card for quantities.

    🔪 How to make this recipe:

    A rocks a glass with a large ice cube in the glass.

    Step 1: Add ice to a rocks glass.

    Bourbon, aperol and bitters has been added to the glass.

    Step 2: Top with the 1 ½ ounce bourbon, ½ ounce Aperol, 2 teaspoon simple syrup, 2 dashes of orange bitters, and 1 dash of spiced cherry bitters.

    A cocktail stirrer is stirring the drink.

    Step 3: Stir to combine.

    The glass finished cocktail is garnished with an orange wedge and a cherry.

    Step 4: Finish with an orange wedge and maraschino cherry.

    💭 Expert tips:

    Suggested Barware: Use a jigger to measure your bourbon, Aperol, and syrup accurately. Also, using a cocktail stirrer is beneficial because it fits so well around the ice.

    Ice: Use a large ice cube because it melts slower and is less likely to dilute the drink.

    Make your own syrup: making your own simple is so easy and cost-effective. Just cook 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar until all the sugar has melted, then let cool.

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    Print
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    An aperol old fashioned garnished with an orange wedge and a cherry sitting on a pink marble table.

    Aperol Old Fashioned

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
    • Author: Pate Giltner
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 5 minutes
    • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
    • Category: Cocktail
    • Method: stirred
    • Cuisine: american
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    If you love the Aperol Spritz and are a bourbon fan, then this Aperol Old Fashioned is perfect for you! This sweet and citrusy old bourbon cocktail combines bourbon whiskey, Aperol, simple syrup, orange, and cherry bitters to make the most delightful drink! 


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 ½ ounce bourbon- preferably Angels Envy or other bourbon with orange notes
    • ½ ounce Aperol 
    • 2 tsp simple syrup 
    • 2 dashes orange bitters
    • 1 dash of spiced cherry bitters 
    • Garnish maraschino cherry 
    • And orange slice 

    Instructions

    1. Add ice to a rocks glass then top with bourbon, aperol, simple syrup, and bitters.
    2. Stir to combine the drink.
    3. Garnish with an ornage wedge and maraschino cherries.

    Notes

    Make homemade simple syrup by heating 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water on medium-low until all the sugar has dissolved.

    The simple syrup will make 8-10 cocktails and keep for 1 up to one month in the fridge.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @thegandmkitchen — I can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jess says

      May 31, 2024 at 6:43 pm

      Fabulous cocktail recipe! Love discovering new cocktail recipes with bourbon.

      Reply
    2. Bob says

      July 04, 2024 at 7:37 pm

      I had better luck mixing this in a mixing glass - building it in the rocks glass created an inconsistent mix as the simple syrup went to the bottom, and my large sphere of ice was too large for the mixing spoon to really work well. But the first attempt (mixing glass) was delicious!

      Reply
    3. Julie Grisez says

      February 28, 2025 at 11:25 am

      Love this! Great! Where did you get your glass and shot glass?

      Reply

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    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake
    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake

    About Pate

    Hi! I'm Pate, the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind The G&M Kitchen!

    Raised in the heart of Kentucky, I come from a long line of passionate cooks and bakers. The kitchen was always the heart of our home, where we transformed vegetables into delightful dishes and crafted pies and cakes that emerged from the oven. This tradition of coming together through food and cooking inspired the name of my blog, The G&M Kitchen – 'G' for my father's family, the Giltners, and 'M' for my mother's family, the Millers.

    I also believe if a recipe is missing something, it's probably bourbon.

    Learn more about me →

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    Here at The G&M Kitchen, you will find southern-inspired baking recipes with a modern twist that are easy, elegant, and fun! Everything is made from scratch, designed for the home kitchen, and is simply delicious!

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    As featured in: thefeedfeed, Sur La Table, Bake From Scratch, Foodtography School, The Bourbon Review, Bringing it Home

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