Campari Cocktails

[birder53]

.

Old Pal

1 ounce rye or bourbon whiskey

3/4 ounce dry vermouth

3/4 ounce Campari

Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

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Had my first Old Pal this weekend. The recipe I used, courtesy of Murray Stenson, called for equal parts of bourbon, dry vermouth and Campari. I couldn't really taste anything but the Campari. I'll have to try it again using Robert's recipe. It was surprising that even Makers Mark couldn't compete with the Campari.

[jparrott]

I occasionally make rye manhattans with a drizzle of campari instead of bitters (a variation on the "Old Pal" above)...it adds a certain meatiness to the flavor.

I do have to say, though, that when I know some serious eating is on the cards for the evening, that campari and soda is the only way to start. (I must try that Valentino, though!)

[sadistick]

I must admit...After diving in to the world of Campari, It is now one of my favourite drinks! campari, OJ, and some soda!

Mmm Mmm good!

[djbeers]

My first time was when I was in the Navy and my ship stopped at Majorca for a few days of liberty. I found this nice little bar that was run by a charming English woman. I noticed some of the locals ordering Campari and decided I was sophisticated and worldly too. I asked for "a Campari", and the owner asked "do you mean Campari and soda?" Without skipping a beat, I said "of course" and I was surprised by how refreshing the drink was. As I was drinking, the owner said something like 'you'd be surprised at how many Americans order Campari but don't know what it is or how to order it properly'. I sat there giving knowing nods and otherwise bluffing my way through the conversation. I think she was on to me though, and just messing with me. <g>

But that first taste sold me on Campari and I have always had a bottle in my liquor cabinet.

[Nathan P.]

Has anyone here tried experimenting with Campari and Limoncello? Inspired by the limoncello thread I made a batch this year but a very foggy summer in Nor. California has curtailed my dreams of sipping it in the warm afternoon sun. With a recently acquired bottle of Campari which I am developing a taste for I thought the lemon and sugar of the limoncello would go nicely with the Campari. I just started with 1oz Hendrick's Gin, 1 oz limoncello, .5 oz lemon juice and .5 oz Campari. I was thinking of a follow-up experiment making the Jasmine but substituting limoncello for the Cointreau.

Any thoughts?

[MikeInSacto]

Doesn't anyone drink Campari on the rocks with a twist? I had one of those with an appetizer of white anchovies with radish and parmigiano earlier tonight, and the Campari was a good match. It cut through the oily anchovy flavor quite nicely, leaving my taste buds refreshed and ready for the next bite. Good stuff!

Mike

[BTR]

Has anyone here tried experimenting with Campari and Limoncello? 

Any thoughts?

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I've not tried Campari and limoncello, but I can tell you that Campari goes very, very well with bitter lemon soda.

[Bernaise]

Just had a "lost weekend" of Negroni's at the cottage. We skipped the sweet Vermouth - cause we were out of it and garnished with thick half slices of lime and a teaspoon of orange juice. They were delicious until we ran out of lime and started using fat spanish olives (with pits).

I vaguely recall moving my hand in a karate chop fashion on a wooden table top and repeating over and over "what makes a a good drink GREAT is: booze, booze, garnish!"

jeez!

[Jamie B]

If you like Campari, maybe you should try some Amaros as well....

[ned]

Sort of off topic.  My wife and I were up in St. Helena, CA, and noticed they have a locally made soda there called Roto Frizzante.  From the description on the menu, "non-sweet, vaguely citrus-like, with an attractive astringency," and bright red color, I knew exactly what it was.  Campari and soda without alcohol.  We tried some, it had more cherry and citrus to it than Campari; but, was otherwise an exact clone.  I guess those Gott boys are spending their fortune on trips to Italy and wanted to bring the flavor back home...

Erik

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Sounds like Sanbitter to me, of which I just bought ten small stylish bottles. I haven't done much sampling yet but I'm thinking it's non-alchoholic Campari, maybe with a little more bitterness.

[danoots]

Grammercy Tavern in NYC is serving a Campari Margarita on their summer menu (don't know if that just changed). If memory serves, it included a gold tequila, lime juice, campari, and cointreau. Sorry... no ratio info, but it was tasty

[*Deborah*]

The first time I had Campari was when someone was mixing tall drinks with Campari and Pellegrino Aranciata Amara. I liked it from the get-go. (This drink isn't nearly as good with regular aranciata-- got to be amara.)

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Oh, I've been drinking it with the regular Aranciata this summer, and also with the Pellegrino Limonata, depending on how sweet I feel like. I will have to source some of the Amara.

I made some pretty tasty cocktails this summer with Campari, icy-cold vodka, and Ruby Red pink grapefruit juice (not from concentrate), in a martini glass. I'm guessing 1.5 oz. Campari, 1.5 oz. vodka, 1 oz. juice, from the size of my glass.

And there's nothing like a little shot of Campari when your stomach is unhappy.

[J_Ozzy]

I'm a fan of Campari, too.

In the hot afternoons, I like to make a sort-of Campari highball

1.5 oz Campari

1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth

Stir with ice

Top with Tonic Water

I guess you could call it a Cautious Americano

The sweetness of the tonic water cuts the Campari down a bit. Plus I'm a huge fan of tonic water (I enjoy it on its own). anyways, it works for me.

[Chris Amirault]

Grammercy Tavern in NYC is serving a Campari Margarita on their summer menu (don't know if that just changed). If memory serves, it included a gold tequila, lime juice, campari, and cointreau. Sorry... no ratio info, but it was tasty

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Surely some bold New Yorker can get over there and get ratios, eh?

[Ktepi]

Thank you, eGullet, for introducing me to Campari. I'd heard of it before but didn't know much about it, and had never thought to try it; the other day when I finally saw a Negroni on the cocktails menu, I ordered it.

It was over-iced, the same problem I have with old-fashioneds when I order them out, and the gin was a little stronger than I'd go for if I made it myself -- but it was still a good way to discover Campari, and since we were stopping at the liquor store on the way home anyway, I picked up a bottle and a six-pack of Schweppes bitter lemon.

Other than a caipirinha to check out the new cachaca I bought, I haven't drunk anything without Campari since, and am at the end of the bottle. After a few different orange-and-Campari-and-soda drinks and a stab at Campari-and-Coke that I didn't think worked, I ran out of oranges and have been drinking it with soda or tonic, sometimes a splash of gin, sometimes lemon or lime, often a shake of Gary Regan's orange bitters.

(The comparison I've been using with friends is that Campari is a lot like Moxie, but unfortunately that's made most of them refuse to try it.)

I've tried combinations with limoncello, but haven't found any I like yet. Kind of curious about Campari and rye or Campari and bourbon.

It'll definitely be one of those liquors I replenish as soon as I'm out of it.

[slkinsey]

I've tried combinations with limoncello, but haven't found any I like yet.  Kind of curious about Campari and rye or Campari and bourbon.

I would think that Campari with limoncello would be way too sweet.

As for Campari and rye, you could try a variation on the Red Hook. The Red Hook is 2 ounces of rye and a half-ounce each of Punt e Mes and maraschino liqueur, stirred with ice and strained. You could sub Campari for the Punt e Mes for more bitter herbal bite.

[Ktepi]

As for Campari and rye, you could try a variation on the Red Hook.  The Red Hook is 2 ounces of rye and a half-ounce each of Punt e Mes and maraschino liqueur, stirred with ice and strained.  You could sub Campari for the Punt e Mes for more bitter herbal bite.

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Unfortunately, no luck with maraschino liqueur here yet -- the trouble with living in a college town is the effect it has on liquor availability. But it's on my look-for list next time I'm out of town so I can make my own Aviations -- this is a good reason to bump it up (or suggest it as a Christmas gift from friends in luckier locales).

Definitely like the sound of that, though.

[Jmahl]

I don't see anything on the classic Americano. Campari, sweet vermouth, on the rocks with a splash of soda and a slice of orange. Started drinking these in Mexico 25 years ago. If you like Campari you will love Cynar. Make your Negroni or Americano with Cynar and really live.

[phlip]

admitted campari fiend here. the red hook variation works very well. its something ive been playing with lately. i like to add orange bitters and a flaming orange twist. it also works quite well using gin. also wonder if anyone has tried the cornwall negroni. also a quite tasty treat. oh and while im at it. campari beginners should give the eden a whirl. served at the flat iron lounge its gin campari lemon and rose syrup. very subtle.

cheers

[Ktepi]

campari beginners should give the eden a whirl. served at the flat iron lounge its gin campari lemon and rose syrup. very subtle.

cheers

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This reminded me of the Rooh Afza syrup that I've had sitting around for a while, so I tried something like that just now -- about 1:1:1:.5 gin/Campari/lemon/Rooh Afza. The Rooh Afza is a rosehip-screwpine syrup, very sweet, very strong -- it's still very pronounced here, and I need to play around with proportions more, and I might try lime instead of lemon. The gin practically disappears, and the Campari bitterness is very muted, to a level I associate with pink grapefruit.

But it's a good flavor combination, in any case.

[eje]

After having a Jasmine that wasn't to my taste out at a bar last year, I put off making one for myself.

However, I was in the mood for a Campari cocktail on Saturday, so I gave it a second chance, and found it delicious.

My only comment would be, I found the recipe in Harrington's book, with 3/4 ounce fresh lemon, a bit sharp. Perhaps I had a very sour lemon. In any case, Robert's formulation above, with 1/2 oz lemon, seems right on.

[Friend of the Farmer]

My goodness, very little mention in this thread of the extraordinary effect of burning the orange oil essence in the classic cocktail? Moments after you shave the orange peel, put on a match (or lighter torch for lazy me) and the orange oil flames and may lightly brown the peel. You'll notice the difference in the contribution of the zest. My first Campari was done this way many years ago in London and again last year while on biz in Minneapolis (perhaps at Vincent?). Try it and don't get burned!

Edited April 11, 2006 by Friend of the Farmer (log)

[slbunge]

Wow. First >70degree day in the Midwest this year and I'm thinking about Campari and soda with lime. Alas, I got home too late to mix one and sit outside sipping. Kudos eje for bringing this thread back to life.

[slbunge]

Sitting on the porch in the sun. Fantastic 70deg day.

Juice of 2 1/2 key limes.

1 oz Campari

Soda

Served in a highball with ice.

Yum.

[eje]

[...]

Rosita

1 1/2 ounce Tequila

1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth

1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth

1/2 ounce Campari

dash of bitters

Stir with ice. Stir with ice, strain into an iced filled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

[...]

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Mmmmm...Herradura blanco, noilly sweet, vya dry, campari, angostura...and the lemon twist really brings it together.

If only decent tequila wasn't so darned expensive!