Campari
Italian red bitter aperitivo — the Negroni's indispensable third.
Campari is an Italian bitter liqueur (aperitivo) developed in 1860 by Gaspare Campari in Novara, Italy. The recipe is a closely guarded secret built on a base of bitter herbs, aromatic plants, and citrus peels, macerated into a bright red, sharply bitter spirit. Campari's intense color came originally from cochineal (a red dye extracted from insects), though most markets now use a vegetable-based colorant. In cocktails, Campari is one-third of a Negroni, one-third of a Boulevardier, and the defining note of a Jungle Bird and an Americano. Nothing quite substitutes for it.
History
Created in Novara in 1860, Campari spread through Italy on the back of Gaspare Campari's marketing genius — the company commissioned futurist art and Fortunato Depero's bottles in the 1920s. The Negroni, invented in 1919 in Florence, cemented Campari's cocktail immortality.
Common uses
Negroni, Boulevardier, Americano, Jungle Bird.
Cocktails that use Campari
- Negroni — Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — perfectly bitter
- Boulevardier — The whiskey cousin of the Negroni — bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth
- Jungle Bird — Blackstrap rum, Campari, pineapple, and lime — the bittersweet tiki outlier
- Mezcal Negroni — The Negroni with mezcal instead of gin — smoky, complex, and addictive
Substitutes
- Aperol — Sweeter and lighter — makes a different, gentler drink.