Luxardo Aperitivo

Appearance: Vivid, artificial orange-red. Smell: Candy-like citrus, predominantly orange and grapefruit. A tiny touch of spice. Taste and Mouthfeel: Overly sweet citrus peel with a bit of plant bitterness straight. Much better when it's the base for a spritz with prosecco, champagne, or even soda. The sugar needs to be dialed back to support, not dominate, before the palate's depth can emerge. A pleasant pre-dinner drink, though not exceptional. It resembles Aperol but has less bright citrus and more herbal character. There's a grapefruit taste that becomes stronger when watered down, but I can't be sure if it's truly from grapefruit oils or a mix of citrus and gentian. Gentian is definitely present – Luxardo is like Aperol with a bit of Suze. Good price and definitely worth sampling as a substitute in your go-to summer spritz, but to my taste, it's the most "standard" aperitivo I've encountered. "Average": 79/100 (2.75 stars)