With its distinctive orange color and crowd-pleasing flavors, Aperol is everywhere in the summer. And while the Aperol Spritz is the favorite way to drink this amaro by miles, it’s not the only way to enjoy the bitter-sweet flavors. We’ve talked about alternative spritz recipes recently, but what about another alternative — like an Aperol cocktail for the beer lovers out there?
Enter the Aperol Mist. Beer cocktails can be difficult to do well, because the lower abv of beer tends to carry less flavor than high-abv spirits, so mixed drinks with beer can taste watery or too sweet. But this genius recipe uses a hearty, substantial wheat beer rather than a lighter and more classic lager. Wheat beers have a thick, almost chewy texture and a heavy dose of yeast flavor, so they are almost like a liquid bread. And to me, that’s no bad thing, as they add a hefty savory quality to this drink that balances out the sweetness of the Aperol.
How to make an Aperol Mist
The Aperol Mist isn’t a fussy cocktail to make. In fact, you don’t even need to shake or stir it with ice, because there is already plenty of water in the beer to carry the other flavors. You simply need to combine 1 oz of Aperol with 1 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice for some zing, and pour these into a pint glass filled with a generous amount of ice cubes. Then top up with wheat beer.
Make sure to give your wheat beer a good swirl before pouring to mix in any yeast that may have settled at the bottom, and pour at an angle to prevent too much head from building up. Ideally you want a bit less than half an inch of head at the top to give an attractive foam top without being annoying to drink. Then you can garnish your finished drink with a lemon wheel for a fresh hit.
This is one of those drinks that sounds dubious until you try it, but speaking as a wheat beer lover I adore the fruity richness of it and the way the citrus cuts through the beer. Try it out for an unexpected summer treat.
