If you aren’t familiar with it, Campari is a fruity, herb-flavored Italian bitters liqueur, usually consumed before eating a meal (an aperitif). Cocktails made with Campari may or may not be strong and may or may not have a slightly bitter alcohol tang, depending on the other ingredients. They’re primarily – though not always – red, pink, or orange because Campari itself is a bright, vibrant red. However, other ingredients can alter the color somewhat. If you’re looking for a drink to serve before a traditional Italian meal, or if you just want a fun, invigorating mixed drink for any occasion, Campari cocktails are an excellent choice.
What to Make With Campari – Classic Campari Spritz and More!
1. Campari Spritz
This four-ingredient, 5-minute drink is ideal if you love orange flavoring. It’s basically bubbly orange soda with an underlying hint of Prosecco. It gives you a lovely little tongue tingle when you drink it and just the slightest hint of a buzz before dinner.
2. Americano Cocktail
If you’re looking for a brilliantly red cocktail with a zingy bitter taste that’ll help clear your palette before a big meal, the Americano cocktail is the drink for you. All you’ll need to make it is Campari, sweet vermouth, soda water, and either a lemon or orange slice/twist for the garnish. It’s sleek, simple, and good enough for James Bond, so you will probably love it, too.
3. Negroni
It doesn’t get much more classically Italian than the Negroni, a delightfully dry aperitif made from Campari, gin, and sweet or semi-sweet vermouth. Add an orange twist as a garnish, and you’ll have the whole thing ready to drink in 2 minutes.
4. Siesta
If you prefer a cocktail with a bit more of a rich, biting alcohol flavor, check out this recipe for the siesta. You’ll make it with tequila blanco, fresh lime juice, ice, simple syrup, Campari, grapefruit juice, and a lime wheel for serving. The drink is slushy and light pinkish-orange, and the colder you get it, the better it tastes. It’s a tart, bittersweet drink that’ll give you just a bit of a mouth twist when you drink it.
5. Old Pal Cocktail
The old pal cocktail is a drier, smokier version of the classic negroni. The recipe for both drinks is essentially the same, but you’ll use rye whiskey and dry vermouth for this one. It makes the drink richer and adds a unique kick that you’ll only get from whiskey.
6. Campari Sangria
If you’re looking for a super sweet sangria, this one isn’t it. Instead, this one is dry, herby, fruity, and just a little bitter, but it’s still delicious. Its cloudy pink hue, flecked with fresh slices of strawberries and oranges (which I add for flavor and texture), makes a lovely addition to any brunch table. Plus, this drink won’t leave you feeling sleepy and sugar-drunk. Instead, it’s fresh, invigorating, and will give you a little extra pep in your step.
7. Italian Gin and Tonic
This is the traditional gin and tonic with a bitter orange Campari flair. It’s quick and easy to make, requiring only dry gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, and tonic water. It shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes to put together.
8. Campari Old Fashioned
I love this gorgeous drink because it looks like a fire in a glass. The bright red and orange hues are reminiscent of an inferno, and if your lemon slice falls just right, there will even appear to be flames licking the side of the glass. It tastes great, too, and if you like sweeter drinks, this is one of the best options on this list, as the brown sugar simple syrup adds a subtle sweetness to the overall flavor.
9. Venetian Blush
This sparkling pink drink is another option for those who prefer their beverages to have at least a hint of sweetness to them. The mixture of orange and pomegranate juices adds tang and sweetness, and the Campari and vodka bring the bitter sting of alcohol, but it’s muted and harder to taste. The Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa helps mellow the whole cocktail out to something light and yummy.
10. Sbagliato
The Sbagliato is light, sparkling, and bittersweet. It has a pretty peach color and the bright zestiness of lime and club soda. I love the delightful fizz it has, and it always makes my nose tingle, but in a good way.
11. Campari and Ruby Red Grapefruit Cocktail
This cocktail is another bright, bittersweet drink, with emphasis on the bitter. Thanks to the mint, though, there’s also a nice freshness to it that makes it the perfect palette-cleansing aperitif. It’s simple to pull together, too. All you’ll need is ruby grapefruit juice, Campari, mint sprigs, and soda water to make it nice and shimmery.
12. Bicicletta
This lovely, three-ingredient drink looks like a sunrise in a glass. You’ll mix white wine and Campari, and then you’ll top it off with soda water and orange wheels for garnishes. It’s tingly, fizzy, and has plenty of zesty citrus flavor. If you’re looking for a before-breakfast drink, this one is tough to beat.
13. Enzoani
If you’re looking for a drink that’s more sour than sweet, try the enzoani. It’s bright – both in color and taste – and deliciously fruity. You’ll make it with gin, Campari, lemon juice, simple syrup, and grapes, and the flavor is almost as shockingly tart as your favorite sour candy. There’s not a lot of bitterness to this drink either, so if that’s something you don’t enjoy, the enzoani is definitely the drink for you.
14. Campari Lemonade
Campari lemonade is another wonderfully refreshing and tart drink, just as lemonade should be. If you’re looking for the ideal summer drink, this four-ingredient lemonade cocktail is probably it. With freshly squeezed lemon juice, a little bit of sugar, some Campari, and lots and lots of ice, you’ll be sipping this poolside all day long. (Just be careful standing up if you do.)
15. Campari and Soda
If you enjoy the two-toned nature of mixed drinks and soda water, you’ll love this one. It’s vibrantly red on the bottom and clear as glass on top. The bubbles are another nice touch. The drink’s flavor is tart and slightly bitter, with a fruity, herby taste that’s hard not to love. Plus, since it only uses two ingredients (and ice), it takes no more than 2 minutes to make.
16. Campari Shandy
Beautifully bright with a foamy, frothy top, the Campari shandy is one of the more interesting-looking mixed drinks on this list. It also has a wonderfully unique taste, thanks to the combination of Campari and a light beer. Yes, you read that correctly — BEER! I also squeeze a bit of lime juice into mine before adding the wedge to the rim. It makes the drink simultaneously zesty and earthy, with rich, warm undertones of beer.
17. Garibaldi
The garibaldi is orange in every possible way. It looks orange; it smells orange; it tastes orange. Its whole reason for being? Orange. It features the vibrantly tangy flavor of orange juice and the bitter herb taste of Campari for something that almost tastes like a traditional Paloma. It tastes great any time of day, but I prefer to serve it for brunch as I do all heavily orange-flavored drinks. Click on a star to rate it!
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