Two beloved cocktails—Aperol Spritz and Margarita—come together to create the Aperol Margarita, a fun and refreshing cocktail that’s as delicious as it is stunning!

Inspiration for the Aperol Margarita

This Aperol Margarita has a bit if a tiki flare to it thanks to it’s gorgeous color and mild almond flavor. It’s inspired by a drink called the Dead Man’s Handle from Miss Carousel in Houston. At Miss Carousel, the drink is made with tequila blanco, Aperol, lime juice, orgeat and Tajin. I stayed pretty close to the original version, but instead of orgeat (an almond syrup which proves to be harder to find than you might think) I use a quick almond simple syrup that’s to die for.

If you can find orgeat, by all means, use that (you can also use it in our Georgia Peach Cocktail)! I just figured if it was a struggle for me to find it, it might be a struggle for you as well. Plus, the almond simple syrup is SO easy and made with pantry ingredients.

grid of step shots showing the process of making an aperol margarita
orange cocktail in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice

What you’ll need for this margarita

  • Aperol
  • Orgeat or homemade almond syrup (sugar, almond extract, orange blossom water)
  • Tequila Blanco
  • Limes
  • Crushed Ice
  • Tajín or margarita salt
  • Rocks glasses
  • Cocktail shaker
orange cocktail in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice

What is Aperol?

Aperol is an Italian apéritif that’s low in alcohol content and is both slightly sweet and slightly bitter with notes of both orange and rhubarb. It’s the main ingredient in the Aperol Spritz, but that’s not the only cocktail you can use it in!

5 cocktail recipes that use Aperol

Not into the Aperol Spritz? You’re not alone.

Cocktail recipes you may also like…

orange-colored aperol margarita cocktail in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice

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And if you’re a cocktail lover like I am, be sure to follow along on Instagram where every Friday I share a new cocktail recipe!

Don’t forget, if you make this Aperol Margarita, leave a comment and rating below!

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Aperol Margarita

4.80 from 5 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Yield 2 cocktails
Category Drinks
Cuisine Italian
Author Lauren Grant

Description

Two beloved cocktails—Aperol Spritz and Margarita—come together to create a fun and refreshing cocktail that’s as delicious as it is stunning!

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces blanco tequila
  • 1 ½ ounces Aperol
  • ounces fresh lime juice
  • 1 ounces orgeat, or almond syrup as follows
  • Crushed ice
  • Tajín, for garnish

Almond Syrup

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract

Instructions

  • Fill two rocks glasses or stemless tulip glasses with crushed ice.
  • Add 3 ounces tequila, 1½ ounces Aperol, 1¼ ounce lime juice, and 1 ounce orgeat to a cocktail shaker filled with ice, secure lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly.
  • Strain margaritas into prepared glasses. Finish with a light sprinkle of Tajin and serve.

Almond Syrup

  • For the syrup, bring ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Off heat, stir in 1 teaspoon almond extract; let cool.

Notes

If you like your cocktails more tart than sweet, start with a little less of the syrup and adjust as needed by preference. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 14gSugar: 7g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!
orange cocktail in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice

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About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

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Comments

  1. I made this drink exactly per the recipe using trader vic’s orgeat syrup. I didn’t have takin so I used marg salt. Fantastic drink that looks amazing

    1. Hi Steve, I’m glad to hear the orgeat syrup worked well! Thanks for giving it a try, I’m happy you liked it!

  2. Orgeat is not hard to aquire. It’s a bar basic if it serves Mai Tai’s or other “tiki” drinks

  3. Bartender here, for homemade orgeat mix equal parts simple syrup & almond milk with a few dashes of orange blossom water ♡ I’ve made something similar (with agave) and it was a great cocktail – excited to try this out with orgeat! Thanks for sharing!