Aperol or Campari?

   Trying to figure out how to make drinks? Have you gotten to mixers and bitters yet? This can be a overwhelming topic in the world of mixing drinks; one that can often leave people with their heads spinning. Back to basics - we'll start with two of the most popular liqueurs on the market today, Aperol and Campari.

   First things first...the quick business end of things. Aperol was originally produced by the Barbieri company (based in Padua, Italy) but is now produced by the Campari Group. In fact, it was back in the 1990s that Campari originally purchased Aperol, a move that is often made by competing brands. In fact, both Aperol and Campari are similar in aroma and taste. So what's the difference?

   Primarily, the two differences between Aperol and Campari is both the alcohol content and the sugar content. There are two underlying factors at work here, but they play a forceful hand in determining how mixed drinks end up tasting. First, and most important, is the alcohol content. Aperol has a sugar content of 11% A.B.V., which is less than half of that of Campari. This is important when you're trying to calculate how many drinks you intend on having for the night, or perhaps you could be attempting to keep the alcohol content under a certain percentage overall for a party. Of course, flavor is extremely important for any mixing cocktail, which brings in our second factor to consider - sugar content. One of the most varying elements in mixology is the fluctuations between drinks that are sweet, spicy, smoky, fruity, and so on. Campari is significantly less sweeter than Aperol, lending itself to cocktails that typically veer towards ingredients that will not upset the delicate flavor balance of the base liquor used. This preserves the flavor of the main spirit, while simply adding subtleties in taste to the overall effect on the palate, both immediate and lingering.

   Just a heads up for those that are maybe looking for daytime sippers that have little or no alcohol content. Instead of using Aperol or Campari, try adding an equal amount of pomegranate juice and a few drops of citrus or fruit bitters. The similarities are unreal for non-alcoholic drinks!