A Bourbon Aperol Sour combines bourbon, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, and a little simple syrup for a citrusy whiskey cocktail with a bittersweet orange edge. Shake 1½ oz bourbon, ¾ oz Aperol, ¾ oz lemon, and ¼ oz simple syrup with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. You need neither Amaro Nonino nor egg white.
This is our house variation, designed for the bottles you already have when a bourbon and Aperol cocktail sounds good. It is not a historic classic or a Paper Plane with an ingredient accidentally left out: the whiskey gets a larger share, and syrup supplies adjustable sweetness.
Bourbon Aperol Sour recipe
Makes: 1 cocktail. Prep and total time: 5 minutes, using prepared, cooled syrup. Equipment: shaker, jigger, cocktail strainer, fine sieve, and coupe.
Ingredients
- 1½ oz (45 ml) bourbon
- ¾ oz (22.5 ml) Aperol
- ¾ oz (22.5 ml) fresh lemon juice
- ¼ oz (7.5 ml) simple syrup, made with equal weights sugar and water (1:1)
- Ice for chilling the glass and shaking
- 1 strip orange peel, optional garnish
Ounces are US fluid ounces; milliliters are rounded bar measures. Use one measuring system throughout. No egg, aquafaba, or other foaming ingredient is needed.
Instructions
1. Chill the glass
Fill a coupe with ice water and set it aside while you measure the ingredients.
2. Measure the sour
Add the bourbon, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake with ice
Fill the shaker with ice and shake briskly for 10–15 seconds, until the outside feels very cold.
4. Strain and garnish
Empty the coupe and strain the cocktail through a cocktail strainer and fine sieve into the glass. If using orange peel, squeeze it over the drink to release its oils, then add it as a garnish. Serve immediately.
Why this bourbon and Aperol combination works
The intended balance is whiskey first, lemon brightness next, and a lingering orange bitterness. Aperol describes its own profile as orange-led, with herbal and woody notes and a bittersweet finish in its official tasting notes. That gives it a different job from plain syrup: it contributes flavor as well as sweetness.
The recipe therefore starts with just ¼ oz syrup. Adding a full whiskey-sour measure of sugar without accounting for Aperol could make the drink sweeter than you want. Conversely, leaving out syrup entirely may emphasize the lemon more than you enjoy. This small starting measure leaves room to adjust.
Expect a shaken citrus drink without a lasting foam cap. The fine sieve catches lemon pulp and stray ice chips; it does not turn the sour into a clear, stirred cocktail.
Choosing bourbon, lemon, and syrup
Use a bourbon you already enjoy mixing. For a first attempt, an ordinary 40–45% ABV bottle is a sensible starting point; a much stronger bourbon changes the balance and may make the alcohol more prominent. There is no need to buy a rare bottle for this house recipe.
Squeeze the lemon shortly before mixing and remove the seeds. Measure the juice rather than using “half a lemon,” because fruit size and juice yield vary. Taste the finished drink before deciding that it needs more sweetness.
For the syrup, dissolve equal weights of white sugar and water, then let it cool before using. The five-minute recipe timing assumes this is ready. A 2:1 rich syrup is more concentrated, so the same pour will not give the intended sweetness; use 1:1 syrup for the starting recipe.
How to adjust the balance
Make the listed version first and change one thing at a time. These are suggested adjustments for your palate, not separate primary recipes.
- Too sharp: add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the same simple syrup, stir, and taste again. That is a smaller correction than adding another full jigger measure.
- Too sweet: try 1 teaspoon less syrup in the next serving. Keep the Aperol steady initially so you can judge the sugar change without also changing its orange flavor.
- Too bitter: use ½ oz (15 ml) Aperol next time. Taste before adding more syrup; reducing Aperol also removes some sweetness.
- Too warm or concentrated: check that you used plenty of ice and completed the shake. Water from melting ice is part of the drink, so a token shake can leave the mixture poorly integrated.
If you prefer slow sipping, strain over a large fresh ice cube in a rocks glass. That is an optional serving variation; the primary recipe is served up and will not continue diluting over ice.
Bourbon Aperol Sour vs. Paper Plane and Boulevardier
The IBA Paper Plane specification uses equal amounts of bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice. Our Paper Plane recipe covers that four-ingredient combination. This sour doubles the bourbon relative to Aperol and lemon, omits Nonino, and adds a modest amount of syrup. Syrup replaces sweetness, not Nonino's flavor.
The IBA Boulevardier combines bourbon or rye with Campari and sweet red vermouth, then stirs it with ice. There is no lemon juice in that specification. Choose our Boulevardier recipe when you want a stirred whiskey-and-vermouth drink; choose this sour when you want fresh citrus.
For a sparkling Aperol option without whiskey, see the Aperol Spritz.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this without Amaro Nonino?
Yes. This recipe is deliberately built without it. Do not simply omit Nonino from an equal-parts Paper Plane and expect the same result; use the bourbon-led proportions above.
Does it need egg white?
No. Shake the four liquid ingredients with ice and strain. Skipping egg is part of this recipe, so there is no dry-shake stage or replacement ingredient to buy.
Can I replace Aperol with Campari?
That makes a different variation. Do not assume the same quantity will suit your palate; the recipe here is balanced around Aperol. If Campari is the bottle you want to use, the linked Boulevardier is a more direct starting point.
Can I make two at once?
Yes, if your shaker has room for twice the ingredients and plenty of ice. Use 3 oz (90 ml) bourbon, 1½ oz (45 ml) each Aperol and lemon, and ½ oz (15 ml) syrup. Divide between two chilled coupes and serve promptly.
