Twice Smitten
Contributed by on Jul 31, 2014
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The Twice Smitten cocktail is aptly named -after the first sip I was “smitten “and after the second… definitely “twice smitten!” But then I’m a fan of Aperol, and of course, gin! Like many Americans, my first introduction to Aperol was in Italy with the ubiquitous Aperol Spritz, a refreshing, appetite priming aperitif cocktail made with Aperol, sparkling wine and soda. I sipped these all over Italy and was, well, smitten! I loved the citrus and bitter notes of Aperol and upon returning home, promptly snapped up a bottle.
Since then, I’ve been keeping an eye out for cocktails involving Aperol and came across the Twice Smitten from Anvil Bar and Refuge. It’s based on one of the Anvil’s house cocktails – the Smitten, made from gin, Campari, lemon juice, turbinado syrup, and mint. Now, some might classify the Twice Smitten as a bit of a “girlie drink” with it’s luscious deep orange hue and it’s somewhat sweet profile. But that sweetness is balanced by the Aperol’s bitter notes and the hit of mint on the finish.
I’ve made this cocktail several times, experimenting with a couple different styles of gin and found that it was good with both a juniper forward style gin, and the more floral and citrusy style gins such as Bluecoat. Personally, I preferred the juniper forward style gin in this cockatil – I find the spiciness of traditional gins a perfect compliment to the sweetness of the Twice Smitten – but the Bluecoat version certainly had its fans. In fact, I served this cocktail at a recent party and it was hit – even among those who proclaimed they did not like gin! So, if serving this to the “I don’t like gin crowd” – be warned – they may become smitten too!!!
- 1 oz. Bluecoat gin
- 1 oz. Aperol
- 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz. demerara syrup
- 8 - 10 mint leaves
- Combine all the ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake for 30 - 45 seconds. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- ½ cup demerara (raw) sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 Tbsp. vodka (optional)
- Combine the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until the sugar is melted and the syrup is clear. Cool. Add the vodka if using. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate.
