Cooking Lesson #509: Aperol Spritz Cranberry-Spice Cocktail

…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? It’s officially fall! If you’ve been searching for a seasonal cocktail to carry you through the fall and into the winter festivities, look no further—my Aperol spritz will do nicely.
 
Aperol is a semi-dry apéritif from northern Italy that tastes like a combination of bitter grapefruit and a sweet, melted Creamsicle. We’ve muddled it with light, floral Lillet Blanc, tart cranberries, fresh orange slices and candied ginger. In a classic spritz, you’d top it with Champagne, but here I’ve used a dry hard cider, which gives the drink some subtle fall apple notes.
 
It’s the perfect light, spicy cocktail for any special meal, including for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’ll pair beautifully with all sorts of appetizers and turkey and prime rib dinners.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients
1 skin-on orange wedge
13 fresh cranberries, divided
2 1-inch pieces crystallized ginger, minced, plus 1 slice for garnish
2 ounces Aperol
1 ounce Lillet Blanc
4 dashes Angostura bitters
Ice
4 ounces dry hard cider (I prefer Angry Orchard Crisp Apple)
 
Directions

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the orange wedge with 10 of the cranberries and the minced crystallized ginger.
2. Add the Aperol, Lillet Blanc, bitters and ice.
3. Shake it like you mean it.
4. Double-strain the drink into an ice-filled rocks glass and top off with the hard cider.
5. Garnish with the 3 remaining cranberries and a slice of crystallized ginger skewered on a cocktail pick or toothpick.

ChefSecret:  What is Angostura Aromatic Bitters? A concentrated bitters made of herbs and spices by House of Angostura in Trinidad and Tobago with extracts of grasses, roots, leaves and fruits dissolved in alcohol, it is ideal for balancing alcoholic drinks, cleansing the palate and facilitating digestion.

Quip of the Day: "Why waste your time and money looking up your family tree? Just go into politics and your opponent will do it for you."
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