Aperol and soda is a wonderfully light and delicious Aperol cocktail that most people can make with items already in their homes. This Aperol soda recipe makes the perfect cocktail on hot evenings or as a light drink before dinner as an aperitif.

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Why You Will Love This Aperol Cocktail
This Aperol soda recipe reminds me of an Aperol spritz but without the prosecco. I came up with this because I wanted a really quick Aperol cocktail like the ones that I had in Italy but didn't want to use prosecco.
It only has 2 ingredients with an optional one you can add if you want your cocktail a little sweeter. It is delicious and so easy to make. All of our readers really love this drink and I know you will too.
Nothing is better than sitting outside in the Summer, sipping on this Aperol cocktail and serving up a delicious fresh pesto pasta, a simple Italian garlic and olive oil pasta, or grilling up my favorite hamburger recipe to enjoy some al fresco dining.
How to make an Aperol Soda
You only need 3 simple ingredients
- Aperol
- Soda water or tonic water
- Garnish: You can use lemon or orange for the garnish. I prefer lemon when I make this. (optional)
If you want to make this drink sweeter, you can use our honey simple syrup recipe.
I make this Aperol and soda drink so often that I don't even measure it out. There really is no "too much" of any ingredient that will make this drink bad.
If you are not into measuring your liquor or don't have a proper shot glass or measuring tool, you can just use the count method for this and count to two while pouring (one, two, done).
More Aperol Cocktails
- Aperol as an Aperitif: This Aperol soda makes a great aperitif cocktail as well. Italians have many liquors they use for aperitifs and Aperol is one of them.
- Other Mixers To Use with Aperol:
- Aperol martini
- Aperol and ginger beer Aperol and ginger beer is actually very tasty and the ginger with the fruity notes of the Aperol is a great match.
- Aperol and wine If you want to make a big batch of sangria that tastes like the more traditional version then you would love my easy Aperol sangria recipe.
- One of my other favorite Aperol cocktails to make is with Rhubarb like in this rhubarb gin fizz.
Storing
Aperol has alcohol so it is fine to store at room temperature for a while. What I mean by this is unlike other stronger liquors that can sit for years at your bar table, Aperol is light on alcohol and higher on sugar content.
If you are not planning to use up your Aperol within a year, I would suggest storing it in your refrigerator to keep it fresh and to extend its shelf life.
Pairing Ideas
If you are looking for some small bites to serve with this simple Aperol cocktail, here are some ideas:
More great cocktails
If you love making this Aperol cocktail, here are some more easy cocktails that you may like:
- You will love my Chartreuse and gin cocktail
- My Lavender and Chartreuse Sour
- Or maybe even my St Germain gin and tonic.
- If you love fruity notes then this Pear martini is a great choice.
- Much like my love for Aperol, I love this Baileys Martini too.
Now that I have told you all about Aperol and how delicious and versatile it is, I hope you are ready to give this Aperol cocktail a try. No bar setup should be without this delicious liquor and I know once you try it you will agree.
Aperol is an Italian aperitif made with rhubarb that was invented in Italy by two Italian brothers in the early 1900s and has become popular around the world ever since. Even though this liquor is made with rhubarb, it has hints of orange and it actually tastes slightly sweet at the beginning of a sip and then slightly bitter at the end.
Aperol cocktails are best garnished with what the drink is mixed with to highlight what is in the cocktail. For most Aperol cocktails, you can garnish them with lemon since its bright citrus flavors offset the rhubarb.
Aperol Soda: A Quick Aperol Drink
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Aperol roughly 2 shots
- 3-4 ounces soda water or tonic water
- 1 lemon quarter
- ice
Instructions
- Fill a rocks glass with ice.2 ounces Aperol, 3-4 ounces soda water or tonic water, ice
- Pour your Aperol and soda water over ice.
- Squeeze your lemon wedge into the drink if using.1 lemon quarter
- Lightly stir.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Helen G says
I made this to go with your Easy Pesto Pasta recipe, both oof which I'll do again! Love having an Aperol drink that doesn't require Prosecco or champagne when it's just for one person. Tasty and refreshing!
Melissa says
So glad yo enjoyed it and it is perfect with that pasta! This is my go to drink too when I want a cocktail for just myself 🙂
Bethany says
What a wonderful and delicious way to enjoy Aperol! We really enjoyed this recipe.
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Ken says
A really refreshing light cocktail! My wife and I really enjoyed it.
Melissa says
I am so glad to hear that 🙂
Keeping It Simple says
Hi. I never knew that either until I began reading about 🙂 I guess that is were it gets its color. Your time in Northern Italy sounds absolutely amazing. I could easily get used to that kind of life!
GJ says
In spirit, the color is from rhubarb. In reality, the bottle lists yellow dye #6 and red dye #40. 😕 But I'm drinking it regardless!
Melissa says
Ha ha! Good to know 🙂 I will still drink it too but I have always wondered how it was so vivd!