Campari
The vivid-red Italian bitter that gives the Negroni and the Americano their color and bite. Everything about the alcohol percentage, flavor, cocktails, and the glass it belongs in.
A secret recipe from 1860
Campari was created in 1860 by Gaspare Campari in Novara, in northern Italy. When he opened his café in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, the bitter quickly became the city's aperitif. The recipe has never been made public: it is an infusion of herbs, roots and fruit in alcohol and water, with bitter orange and rhubarb being especially distinctive.
Until 2006, that vivid red color came from cochineal, a dye made from scale insects; since then, an artificial coloring has been used. The alcohol percentage varies by country, but in the Netherlands Campari is 25%. That is considerably higher than Aperol at 11%, which explains why Campari makes a spritz much more robust and can take the lead in a Negroni.
In brief
Campari and the other bitter aperitivi
Campari comes in two sizes. The other bottles below play the same role in a spritz, but are sweeter and lower in alcohol.
Campari
The standard bottle. Intensely bitter with orange peel and rhubarb, and a sweet core underneath. The foundation of the Negroni and the Americano.
Campari 1 liter
The same bitter aperitivo in a one-liter bottle. Handy if you regularly make Negronis: each glass uses 3 cl.
Aperol
Campari's light, orange-colored sibling from the same parent company. Sweeter, less bitter, and at 11% much more approachable.
Select Aperitivo
The Venetian aperitivo from 1920, and the standard choice for a spritz there. In terms of bitterness, it sits exactly between Aperol and Campari.
Torriani Aperitivo
A more affordable aperitivo in the same style as Aperol, at 11%. Great for a pitcher of spritz at a birthday party.
Campari when you want true bitterness; Aperol or Select when you want a lighter spritz.
Bitter orange with a sweet core
Orange peel & herbs
Bitter orange peel up front, with herbs, roots and a medicinal edge. Smells immediately like an aperitif.
Intensely bitter
Distinctly bitter, with rhubarb and orange peel, underpinned by a sweet core that carries it all. First-time tasters are often briefly taken aback.
Long and dry-bitter
A long, dry, bitter finish that cleanses the palate. Exactly what an aperitif is meant to do: it stimulates the appetite.
Campari's flavor profile. Aperol is much sweeter and far less bitter; Select falls somewhere in between in terms of bitterness.
Three ways to drink Campari
You almost never drink Campari neat: it was made to be mixed. These three are the classics, from light to full-bodied.
Like Campari Spritz
6 cl Campari, 9 cl prosecco and a splash of sparkling water over plenty of ice in a large wine glass, with an orange slice. Fuller-bodied and more bitter than an Aperol Spritz, and therefore much less sweet.
Spritz recipe →Like Americano
3 cl Campari and 3 cl sweet vermouth in an ice-filled highball glass, topped with sparkling water and an orange peel. The oldest Campari cocktail there is, and with 3 cl per glass, light enough for the afternoon.
Americano recipe →Like Negroni
3 cl Campari, 3 cl gin and 3 cl sweet vermouth stirred with ice and served over a large ice cube, with an orange peel. Equal parts, stir for thirty seconds, done. Bitter, spicy and full-bodied.
Negroni recipe →The best cocktails with Campari
Negroni
Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Three ingredients, no excuses.
Americano
Campari, sweet vermouth and sparkling water. The original form of the Negroni, and lighter.
Boulevardier
Negroni with bourbon instead of gin. Warmer and rounder, ideal for winter.
Negroni Sbagliato
Negroni with prosecco instead of gin. Created by accident, and here to stay.The right glass for Campari
A heavy tumbler for the Negroni, a large balloon glass for the spritz and a long drink glass for the Americano. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Campari
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