I just mixed up a Fall Cocktails idea with Aperol, apple cider and blood oranges that looks impossibly festive and makes you want to stash the champagne for Thanksgiving.
I am obsessed with this Autumn Aperol Spritz because it tastes like actual fall in a glass. I love the way Aperol pairs with fresh apple cider and a bright hit of blood orange, but it’s not sweet syrupy nonsense.
I bring these to Friendsgiving and get asked for the recipe on repeat. Fall Cocktails that don’t pretend to be fancy.
And it’s the kind of Thanksgiving Drinks that makes the table louder, not quieter. Ice clinks.
Bitter and sweet wrestling. I sip and smile like I did something clever, even when I barely did.
No apologies. Really here seriously.
Ingredients
- Aperol: bitter-sweet backbone, bright orange color and easy, friendly bitterness.
- Fresh apple cider: juicy autumn apple notes, makes it feel cozy and seasonal.
- Prosecco: light bubbles, you’ll get fizzy lift without heaviness.
- Blood orange juice: tart, slightly floral kick that brightens the drink.
- Club soda: extra lift and cleansing fizz, keeps it refreshing.
- Ice: tons of chill, it’s what thins as you sip, nice dilution.
- Blood orange wheel: pretty, smells great and adds a citrusy flourish.
- Basically pick rosemary for piney depth or cinnamon for warm spice.
- Plus a splash of syrup makes it sweeter, maple adds cozy notes.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 oz Aperol
- 2 oz fresh apple cider
- 3 oz Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
- 1/2 oz fresh blood orange juice (about 1 small blood orange)
- 1 oz club soda or sparkling water
- Ice (plenty, to fill glass)
- 1 blood orange wheel or slice, for garnish
- 1 small rosemary sprig or cinnamon stick, for garnish (optional)
- 1/4 oz simple syrup or maple syrup, if you like it sweeter (optional)
How to Make this
1. Fill a large wine glass or rocks glass plenty full with ice so drink stays cold.
2. Pour in 2 oz Aperol and 2 oz fresh apple cider right over the ice.
3. Squeeze about 1/2 oz fresh blood orange juice (about one small blood orange) into the glass, try not to get seeds in there.
4. If you want it sweeter add 1/4 oz simple syrup or maple syrup now, otherwise skip it.
5. Give the glass a quick gentle stir to combine the Aperol, cider, juice and syrup.
6. Slowly pour in 3 oz Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine, pour against the ice so it foams less.
7. Top with 1 oz club soda or sparkling water to lighten it up, then stir very gently once so you dont lose all the bubbles.
8. Garnish with a blood orange wheel or slice and tuck in a small rosemary sprig or a cinnamon stick for extra autumn aroma.
9. Taste and adjust sweetness or soda if needed, more maple or soda will change the balance quickly.
10. Serve right away while fizzy and cold, and enjoy with friends at Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or any cozy fall gathering.
Equipment Needed
1. Large wine or rocks glass (plenty big to hold ice and bubbles)
2. Jigger or measuring spoons (for 2 oz Aperol, 2 oz cider, 1/2 oz juice, etc)
3. Citrus juicer or reamer and a small strainer (to catch seeds from the blood orange)
4. Long bar spoon or stirring spoon (gentle stirs so you dont lose fizz)
5. Ice scoop or tongs (to fill the glass without melting the ice)
6. Bottle opener or waiter’s corkscrew (for the Prosecco)
7. Small pourer or measuring pour spout (helps slow the Prosecco pour and reduce foam)
8. Paring knife and cutting board (to slice the blood orange wheel and trim rosemary or cinnamon stick)
FAQ
Autumn Aperol Spritz Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Aperol: swap with Campari for a more bitter, deeper orange flavor, or use a lighter orange liqueur like Aperitivo Cynar if you want herbier notes.
- Fresh apple cider: use pear cider or unfiltered apple juice instead, they’ll keep the fall fruitiness but change sweetness and texture a bit.
- Prosecco or dry sparkling wine: substitute with Cava or a brut Champagne for similar bubbles and dryness, or use a dry sparkling rosé to add color and berry notes.
- Blood orange juice: replace with regular navel orange juice plus a splash of lemon for brightness, or use pomegranate juice for a tart, autumnal twist.
Pro Tips
– Chill the glass and the Prosecco first. If the bubbles are cold they last way longer, so pop the bottle in the fridge or ice bucket before you pour. If you skip this the drink goes flat faster and it just feels…off.
– Taste the cider before you add syrup. Some ciders are already super sweet or spicy, so you might not need that 1/4 oz of maple or simple syrup. Add a little at a time so you dont over-sweeten and have to fix it.
– Pour the sparkling wine slowly and pour against the ice or the inside of the glass. That makes less foam and keeps more bubbles. Also wait to add the club soda till the end and stir only once or twice gently so you dont lose all the fizz.
– If you want a bigger aroma, clap the rosemary between your hands or warm the cinnamon stick slightly before tucking it in. It brings out more scent without changing the flavor much.
Autumn Aperol Spritz Recipe
I just mixed up a Fall Cocktails idea with Aperol, apple cider and blood oranges that looks impossibly festive and makes you want to stash the champagne for Thanksgiving.
1
servings
240
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large wine or rocks glass (plenty big to hold ice and bubbles)
2. Jigger or measuring spoons (for 2 oz Aperol, 2 oz cider, 1/2 oz juice, etc)
3. Citrus juicer or reamer and a small strainer (to catch seeds from the blood orange)
4. Long bar spoon or stirring spoon (gentle stirs so you dont lose fizz)
5. Ice scoop or tongs (to fill the glass without melting the ice)
6. Bottle opener or waiter’s corkscrew (for the Prosecco)
7. Small pourer or measuring pour spout (helps slow the Prosecco pour and reduce foam)
8. Paring knife and cutting board (to slice the blood orange wheel and trim rosemary or cinnamon stick)
Ingredients
2 oz Aperol
2 oz fresh apple cider
3 oz Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
1/2 oz fresh blood orange juice (about 1 small blood orange)
1 oz club soda or sparkling water
Ice (plenty, to fill glass)
1 blood orange wheel or slice, for garnish
1 small rosemary sprig or cinnamon stick, for garnish (optional)
1/4 oz simple syrup or maple syrup, if you like it sweeter (optional)
Directions
- Fill a large wine glass or rocks glass plenty full with ice so drink stays cold.
- Pour in 2 oz Aperol and 2 oz fresh apple cider right over the ice.
- Squeeze about 1/2 oz fresh blood orange juice (about one small blood orange) into the glass, try not to get seeds in there.
- If you want it sweeter add 1/4 oz simple syrup or maple syrup now, otherwise skip it.
- Give the glass a quick gentle stir to combine the Aperol, cider, juice and syrup.
- Slowly pour in 3 oz Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine, pour against the ice so it foams less.
- Top with 1 oz club soda or sparkling water to lighten it up, then stir very gently once so you dont lose all the bubbles.
- Garnish with a blood orange wheel or slice and tuck in a small rosemary sprig or a cinnamon stick for extra autumn aroma.
- Taste and adjust sweetness or soda if needed, more maple or soda will change the balance quickly.
- Serve right away while fizzy and cold, and enjoy with friends at Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or any cozy fall gathering.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 250g
- Total number of serves: 1
- Calories: 240kcal
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 0g
- Monounsaturated: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 5mg
- Potassium: 70mg
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 25g
- Protein: 0.3g
- Vitamin A: 0IU
- Vitamin C: 9mg
- Calcium: 10mg
- Iron: 0.1mg
