I Tried The Trader Joe’s Bottled Aperol Spritz—Here Are My Unfiltered Thoughts
Whether you love them or hate them, Aperol spritzes are a quintessential summer drink. The light and effervescent combination of orange-flavored bittersweet liqueur, sparkling wine, and club soda is a sunset in a cup. The vibrant cocktail also has a relatively low alcohol content, so you can sip them all summer long.
A simple, three-ingredient drink is ideal for when you’re looking to get a buzz without breaking out all of your bar equipment. But there’s still a delicate balance that requires some precision to master. Odds are that at some point you’ve ordered an Aperol spritz that had the wrong ratios. And instead of a lightly sweet, refreshing sip, you end up with a wine glass full of sparkling cough syrup.
If you’re hosting a fun summer gathering or just don’t want to wash a measuring cup, Trader Joe’s has come to the rescue. This summer, our favorite grocery store is stocking Almare Spritz in their spirits section—which takes all of the magic of a good Aperol spritz and puts it in a convenient screw top bottle. All you need to do is serve it over ice (adding an orange slice is extra credit, but not necessary).
Personally, as an Aperol spritz enjoyer (and an amaro enthusiast at large), I was skeptical that a prepackaged spritz could stand up to the traditional version. So I decided to put it to the test to see if it’s worth your money.
From a visual standpoint, it's a dead ringer for the OG Aperol Spritz. The producers in Italy use their own proprietary amaro recipe inspired by traditional Italian spritzes. They describe their own version as tasting like "bitter orange, rhubarb and subtle herbal notes."
I twisted the cap and could immediately see the carbonation bubbling to the surface. The aroma was bright, and refreshing like any bottle of sparkling wine should be. And once I poured it into an ice-filled glass and garnished it with an orange slice, I felt like I was transported to an Italian vacation...until I took a sip.
I'm sorry to break the news to you all, but this stuff is gross. It begins just like an Aperol spritz, with the citrusy herbaceous flavor hitting your tongue. And then it fades into a harsh, long-lasting aftertaste that tasted like dish soap. The sudsy flavor did not go away—even after I chugged a glass of water.
A disclaimer: I love cilantro, so I'm not necessarily averse to soapy flavors. And I love bitter beverages. The finish on this spritz, however, is seriously unpalatable. I was excited by the prospect of having a taste of summer just a screw-top bottle away, but I'm going to stick with making my own spritzes from scratch.
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