My foodie pal Justin, who lives in New Jersey, is hilarious and sarcastic in the best possible way and he’s been a constant inspiration in my pursuit of craft cocktail mastery. I’ve been following his posts on Instagram (you must follow him too: https://www.instagram.com/justinelmini/) and recreating some of his libations since the start of the pandemic. The latest drink I’ve recreated of his is what I’m calling Aperol Gin Cocktail.

The Aperol Gin Cocktail is incredibly easy to make and is a fantastic drink to enjoy on a hot summer day and/or by the pool. While Justin serves his version up in a coupe, which is lovely, I served mine in a more typical Aperol stemmed glass over ice.

Ingredients:
1 ounce Aperol
1 ounce Gin (I use Aviation)
1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces sparkling or soda water
Thinly sliced lime for garnish

Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the Aperol, gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake hard until the shaker is frosty and too cold to hold (if it’s metal), about 30 seconds.
Pour the drink and the ice into a large stemmed glass and top with the sparkling/soda water and a slice of limes.

Cheers, Veronique