Are you surprised that I managed to squeeze in Aperol into a traditional Mexican cocktail?  I am not!  The apéritif is one of my favorite pre-dinner cocktails.  Aperol’s zesty orange notes complements the fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and lime juice in this recipe.

Adding complexity to this cocktail is my recent fascination with Thai chiles.  I have experimented quite a bit with Thai chiles these past couple of months.  I have incorporated them in savory dishes and cocktails, including my recipe for a Spicy Thai Chile Paloma.   While this cocktail also includes Thai chiles, the recipe for my Spicy Aperol Paloma differs quite a bit.

Before you scroll down to the recipe, you will need to soak one Thai chile per one ounce of Aperol for 8 hours.  Why the long wait?  A lot of time, experimentation and Aperol went into perfecting this recipe.  I started by soaking one Thai chile per one ounce of Aperol for 30 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours and 8 hours.  The 8 hour soak provided the perfect level of spice that I needed for this cocktail.  While this may seem a little outrageous, I take great pride in bringing you the best version of my cocktail recipes.

Now that I have shared one of the most important ingredients in this Spicy Aperol Paloma cocktail recipe, let’s get to the instructions!

Spicy Aperol Paloma Cocktail Recipe

The beautiful citrus notes in Aperol make it a wonderful addition to a classic Paloma.

  • 1 oz Aperol
  • 1 Thai chile
  • 1 – 2 tbsp Margarita salt
  • 1 tbsp Tajín
  • 1 Lime slice garnish
  • 2 oz Tequila Reposado
  • ¼ cup Grapefruit juice juice of ½ a medium grapefruit
  • 1 tbsp Lime juice juice of ½ lime
  • 1 cup Ice
  • 2 oz Fresca Grapefruit Soda chilled
  • 1 Candied Thai chile garnish
  • Macerate one Thai chile using a mortar and pestle. Place the macerated Thai chile in a small container and add one ounce of Aperol. Seal the container with its lid and let it sit for 8 hours.
  • Moisten the rim of a coupe cocktail glass with a lime wedge. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of Margarita salt to a cocktail rimmer and coat the rim of the glass with salt. Add one tablespoon of Tajín to a small plate and coat one lime slice with Tajín. Garnish the glass with the Tajín coated lime slice. Set the cocktail glass aside.
  • Strain the Aperol into a cocktail shaker. The Thai chile seeds are hot, hot, hot, so make sure to filter ever seed and piece of the chile.
  • Add the next ingredients to the cocktail shaker: tequila reposado, grapefruit juice, lime juice and ice. Shake all ingredients well for 15 seconds.
  • Strain the chilled Paloma cocktail mixture into a coupe cocktail glass. Add two ounces of chilled Fresca Grapefruit Soda to the cocktail and stir gently. Top the Spicy Aperol Paloma cocktail with a candied Thai chile and enjoy!

Tools used for this Spicy Thai Chile Paloma cocktail recipe:

Cocktail jigger

Small container and lid

Mortar and pestle

Cocktail shaker

Small mesh strainer

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Cocktail rimmer

Manual citrus press juicer

Coupe cocktail glass

Cocktail stirrer

If you did not know already, I love Palomas and Margaritas.  You will find a lengthy repertoire of my cocktails recipes on this blog.   As much fun as I have building cocktails, I am also a fan of a cute and delicious garnish.  A candied Thai chile is simple to make for this Spicy Aperol Paloma.  Simply follow my recipe for Candied Cranberries.  Substitute Thai chiles in lieu of the cranberries for this recipe.  Get the step by step recipe here!

I hope that you enjoy my Spicy Paloma cocktail recipe as much as I do!

This adventurous cocktail is perfect for the person that loves cocktails with character and spice.   If you enjoy spicy food as much as I do, you will also enjoy my Pomegranate Avocado Salsa recipe.  Click here for the delicious step by step recipe.