Aperol is sweet, with a subtle bitter finish. It has strong notes of bitter orange, rhubarb, and herbs. It’s one of the sweetest in the Italian bitter family, so it’s the most palatable and easy to drink. It’s also very low alcohol: it is 22 proof or 11 percent ABV. Aperol is bright orange in color, whereas its cousin liqueur Campari is bright red. In fact, Italian liqueurs are more different than they are alike: see Campari vs Aperol. What does Aperol taste like?

Aperol is a Italian liqueur that’s an aperitif: a liquor designed for sipping before a meal. It’s considered an Italian amaro or bitter (amaro means “little bitter”), but it’s the sweetest in the family. It was invented in Padua, Italy in 1919 by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri. The company that sells Campari, Gruppo Campari, bought Aperol in the 1990s.