Bar Talk: Clinging to summer with a frozen Aperol spritz

May 26, 2023

News News | Aug 5, 2023

Maybe it’s just because I clicked on one or two frozen drink Reels on my Instagram “explore” page, or perhaps everyone is just feeling the pressure of it already being August, and they want to keep the summer vacation vibes going. Whatever it may be, I feel like I keep stumbling upon frozen cocktails, and I can’t say I’m mad about it.

In past summer columns, I have not been shy about my love for enjoying an Aperol spritz outside in the warm weather. So when the algorithm fed me a recipe for a frozen NA Aperol spritz from one of my favorite spirit-free content creators, @olivianoceda, I was instantly intrigued.

While I am known to enjoy a mocktail and the creativity that goes into making ones that aren’t just soda water and juice, I decided to go the spirit-full route in my recreation, especially since my home bar was already stocked with Aperol.

The result was a creamy, ultra-chilled, tart, and refreshing cocktail that takes the classic to the next level.

The traditional Aperol spritz is Prosecco, Aperol, soda water, and an orange slice. The frozen version has a few extra ingredients that provide more depth and a fruitier flavor.

In my version, I added frozen strawberries, partially because that is what I had in my freezer already, but the recipe that sparked my interest called for both frozen peaches and frozen strawberries.

The berries lended both a tart, juicy flavor to the cocktail along with a deep pink color, which made the frozen treat look more like a strawberry daiquiri than an Aperol spritz.

Although the frozen version does include a splash of orange juice to enhance the orange flavor, next time I make this, I might nix the frozen strawberries and use frozen oranges and peaches to help keep the spritz signature orange color and bring out that zesty summer flavor even more.

With the extra add-ins, the frozen Aperol spritz loses some of its bitterness, but as it slowly melts, the taste of Prosecco becomes more prominent, and it still seems to retain some of its bubbles.

While not every drink needs to be hit by the ice queens touch, I’m a fan of the frozen Aperol spritz and see more batches of them in my future. For as long as the hot summer days remain, at least.

Frozen Aperol Spritz Recipemakes 1 cocktail

¾ cup frozen strawberries (or sub ½ cup frozen oranges, ½ cup frozen peaches)

2 oz Aperol

4 oz Prosecco

1 cup of ice

1.5 oz orange juice

Add all items to a powerful blender, and blend until desired consistency is reached. Pour into a glass. Garnish with whatever you choose, if you want to, take a sip — and enjoy.

Aug 5, 2023

Maybe it’s just because I clicked on one or two frozen drink Reels on my Instagram “explore” page, or perhaps everyone is just feeling the pressure of it already being August and they want to keep the summer vacation vibes going.

Aug 5, 2023

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