Highballs and long drinks · Tequila
Instead of the syrupy red layer of grenadine, a measure of Aperol drifts down through the orange juice and leaves a glowing, amber-to-orange gradient. The result tastes fresher and more grown-up than the original Sunrise.
1½ oz
blanco tequilae.g. Olmeca Altos · Patrón · Don Julio · Espolòn · El Jimador
3 oz
orange juice
¾ oz
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Garnish: Orange slice · Ice: Ice cubes
Aperol Sunrise
Juicy orange and agave with gentle rhubarb bitterness from the Aperol. Light, fruity and less sweet than a classic Tequila Sunrise.
The Aperol Sunrise is a modern twist on the Tequila Sunrise, the tequila, orange juice and grenadine highball that became famous in the 1970s. It simply replaces the sweet grenadine with Aperol, the bittersweet orange aperitif first produced in Padua, Italy, in 1919.
There is no documented creator or date for this combination. It belongs to a wave of home and bar twists that appeared as Aperol became internationally popular through the Aperol Spritz in the 2000s and 2010s. The idea is straightforward: tequila and orange stay, but the bitter herbal notes of Aperol replace pure sugar, making the drink drier and more balanced.
Only partly. It is lighter than grenadine, so you get a soft orange gradient rather than a distinct red layer.
No. It is a modern variation of the Tequila Sunrise, which is on the IBA list.
Yes, but Campari is more bitter and stronger; start with 15 ml.
The perfect sound
A beach bar sunset on the Adriatic with the whole summer ahead.
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