The weather is warming up, perfect for a refreshing apéritif, my Aperol Pompelmo ! The pairing of Aperol and grapefruit ( pompelmo in Italian) is hardly novel, but I could not find any definitive recipes, let alone a name. But Aperol and grapefruit juice, perhaps with a bit of sparkling water, is such a wonderfully refreshing drink it deserves a recipe, a name

The weather is warming up, perfect for a refreshing apéritif, my Aperol Pompelmo!

The pairing of Aperol and grapefruit (pompelmo in Italian) is hardly novel, but I could not find any definitive recipes, let alone a name. But Aperol and grapefruit juice, perhaps with a bit of sparkling water, is such a wonderfully refreshing drink it deserves a recipe, a name.

Aperol Pompelmo

Aperol is an Italian apéritif. Often compared to Campari, both derive from pre-war formulas but are today manufactured by the same Italian beverage conglomerate, Gruppo Campari. Like Campari, Aperol is made from an infusion of citrus peel, flowers, and alimentary herbs, and has a moderately bitter, invigorating taste. But in contrast to Campari, Aperol is less bitter, less alcoholic (11 versus 25%), more floral. You might call it a beginner’s apéritif, although I find plenty of uses for both.

Apéritif refers both to any preprandial drink and a specific category of drinks best suited for arousing the appetite and preparing the palate, without getting one drunk or full. A Campari & soda is a light, refreshing start to a meal, while the common choices of a martini or a beer while waiting at the bar are more likely to get you drunk or full, respectively, than prepare you for a great meal.

For this drink, use whatever grapefruit is your favorite, whatever looks best at the market. Here, I prefer grapefruit closer to tart on the tart-sweet scale—none of that sweet ruby red crap. And an oily, aromatic peel (you can smell them from a foot away at the market) is key for the garnish.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice
1 ounce (1 pony shot) Aperol
2 drops Fee Brothers’ Grapefruit Bitters
1 ounce (1 pony shot) sparkling water
1 large grapefruit peel

Fill half of a Boston shaker with large ice cubes. Combine the grapefruit juice, Aperol, and grapefruit bitters. Stir rapidly for 15 seconds and then let sit until the outside of the shaker starts to sweat.

Fill an old fashioned glass (a lowball) with large ice cubes. Simultaneously pour in the stirred liquids and the sparkling water. Garnish with a grapefruit peel. Enjoy.

VIA:
Aperol Pompelmo