New Jersey’s most popular cocktail

You would think it would be a drink made with a native homemade spirit like Laird's Applejack, which is made here in Colts Neck. It happens to be the oldest distillery in the United States.

There are some great drinks you can make with that delicious spirit. But the number one cocktail in New Jersey and several other states might be one you haven't heard of.

It's the Aperol Spritz. That's according to the site Coffeness. 

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We might all be familiar with a "spritz," something that has a little fizz or club soda, but what the hell is an Aperol? I happen to have some in my liquor cabinet.

Its key ingredients include bitter rhubarb, vegetal gentian root, and cinchona, a tree bark that gives tonic water its characteristic bitterness.

Along with other fruits, flowers, and plants, the ingredients in Aperol combine into a citrusy aroma with an herbal basis. It tastes of orange zest with a bit of vanilla and is not so great on its own. Therefore, I guess it's mixed with some other beverages to make it more desirable.

We've been making it every summer for a couple of years after enjoying it on a couple of trips to Italy in the summertime. The Aperol Spritz is easy to make. It's equal parts Aperol and Prosecco with a splash of club soda and an orange slice.

Prosecco is a sparkling Italian wine similar to champagne. They sometimes come in four packs of smaller bottles which I recommend you buy. This way you don't have to waste the rest of a whole bottle if you're just making a few Aperol Spritz's.

It seems to be more popular in the Northeastern states and also on the West Coast of the country. You can check out the most popular cocktails in each state here. 

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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