Campari is the world’s best selling amaro, a class of spirits and liqueurs that originated in Italy. The spirit was invented in 1860 in Novara Italy, over the years Davide Campari and his family built it into an empire. Groupo Campari is now a large, publicly traded spirits company. They own Skyy Vodka and Wild Turkey, to name a few.
But enough about them, let’s talk a bit about the ingredient and how you use it.
Here are nine of our favorite recipes which show off Campari’s versatility. You can mix it with everything from soda water, to rum, to gin to produce delicious drinks.
Dante’s Unlikely Negroni
Dante’s from the eponymous bar in NYC. If you like negronis, you need to visit Dante!
Ingredients
- 1 oz Blanco Tequilia (Cabeza)
- .75 oz Campari
- .75 oz Cocchi Tornio
- .25 oz Coconut Liquor (Kalani)
- .25 oz Banana Liqueur (Giffard)
- 1 Pineapple Drinking Vinegar (Sohm)
- 1 dropper Thai chili tincture
- Banana Chip with 2 Drops of Sesame Oil (Garnish)
Pepper Unicorn
The Pepper Unicorn is a spicy, boozy cocktail with a tequila base.
- .75 oz Hussong’s Tequila
- .75 oz Batch 206 Old Tom Counter Gin
- .75 oz Campari
- .75 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth
- .5 oz Ancho Reyes
- 2 Dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Da Vinci Punch
- .75 cup Bourbon
- .75 cup Falernum
- .75 cup Sweet Vermouth
- .75 cup Campari
- .25 cup Light Rum (we used Tripp Distillery)
- 3 cup IPA
Bitter Scotsman
The Bitter Scotsman features a smoky, blended Scotch base.
- 2 oz Scotch (use Flaming Heart to be extra-out-of-touch)
- 0.75 oz Orgeat
- 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Campari
The Italian Copilot
Grappa, Campari and the cherry-based Maraschino Liqueur combine for this all-Italian, soda-topped cocktail.
- 1.5 oz Grappa
- .5 oz Maraschino
- .75 oz Campari
- 3 oz Soda Water
Last Call Cocktail
The lightly peated Bunnahabhain single-malt is the base of this drink. Early Gray Syrup adds a bergamot backsplash.
- 1.5 oz Bunnahabhain
- .75 oz Campari
- .5 oz Ruby Port
- .25 oz Earl Grey Syrup
Laphroaig-Groni
Laphroaig, check. Oloroso Sherry, check. Averna Amaro, Campari, check check. Terrible cocktail name. Big check. This drink has a big punch of salt and smoke.
- 1 oz Laphroaig 10
- 1 oz Oloroso cruz del mar
- 1 oz Averna amaro
- 1/2 oz Campari
New Best Friend
We originally made this drink for the #homebarawards challenge to make a drink featuring single malt scotch. This is a riff on the Old Pal cocktail.
- .75 oz Sherried Speyside Whisky (Glen Moray Blackadder)
- .75 oz Peated Islay Whisky (Laphroaig 10)
- 1 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
- 1 oz Campari
- .25 oz Orgeat
- .25 oz Oloroso Sherry
Deadpan Fix
Ginger syrup is in a ton of Death and Co’s cocktails, so we’ll occasionally mix up a big batch of the stuff. This drink combines ginger syrup with Rye, Campari, Grand Mariner, grapefruit and lemon juice. Bit lower proof than most of the drinks on this list, but it still packs a punch.
- 1.5 oz Rye
- 0.25 oz Campari
- 0.25 oz Grand Marnier
- 0.75 oz grapefruit juice
- 0.5 oz lemon juice
- 0.25 oz ginger syrup