Mr. 404

MR. 404 is a sweet-sour vodka cocktail combining the flavors of elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and Aperol. Its holiday punch recipe was published by the Wall St. Journal recently. But it is an easy individual-sized cocktail — definitely not short on flavor — for the home bartender to prepare at home. This one goes down so easily that you need to remind yourself to sip it.

Requirements: vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup (optional), orange peel

• 1.5 oz. vodka
• 3/4 oz. elderflower liqueur
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. Aperol
• 1 tsp.simple syrup (optional)
• 1 orange peel garnish

Combine ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously for thirty seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Comments: Though Aperol makes a sweet-sour contribution to the Mr.404, the elderflower liqueur and lemon juice are substantial enough to make this a team effort and add balance. So if you’re not a fan of Aperol, there’s enough going on here to be appealing. Test the mix before adding simple syrup to decide if you need additional sweetening. Also, you can substitute gin for the vodka above and it becomes a MRS. 404.

Similar Cocktails:

Genoa Vodka — https://keetscocktails.com/genoa-vodka-2/

Caneflower — https://keetscocktails.com/caneflower-cocktail-2/

Siesta — https://keetscocktails.com/siesta/

Aperol Spritz — https://keetscocktails.com/aperol-spritz/

Old Pal — https://keetscocktails.com/old-pal/