Campari Cocktails

[C. sapidus]

For the uninitiated, the first drink I'll use to introduce them to what Campari is all about, is the Jasmine (as already mentioned by JAZ)...

Jasmine

1 1/2 ounces gin

1 ounce Cointreau

3/4 ounce Campari

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.

If you like grapefruit juice, you'll love the Jasmine.

We made this the other night. It is truly delicious, and does taste remarkably like grapefruit juice.

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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This was nice, in a "put hair on your chest" sort of way.

[yagophil]

I like Negroni's made with Punt E Mes for the sweet vermouth...

Many years back at a little bar in St. Tropez I asked the bartender for a "house cocktail". He clearly didn't have any in mind, thought a bit, and gave me a red drink he called "Americano". Now, I had never heard of an "Americano" before, nor had I tasted Campari. After one taste I thought for sure the bartender was laughing at the dumb "Americano" at the bar because of all the foul, bitter tasting gunk he put in!

Later I realized that it was a properly made Americano, and there was nothing wrong with Franco-American relations that day.

[Alchemist]

This is a total gateway cocktail for people who don't think they like the bitter cordials.

First, a couple days before you are having a party, infuse 4 cups of gin (a good srtong one like Tanq or Beefeater) 2 cups of Maraschino (Luxardo) and a cup of Campari with a pineapple that had been skinned and sliced into thick wedges. Let sit for at least 24 hours, 48 is better.

This cocktail is all pineapply goodness then with Campari creeps up on you.

The Riviera

2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Simple Syrup

1 Egg White

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.

Ice: None

Mime Shake. Add KD. Shake. Strain. Serve up.

Toby

[JerseyRED]

The Riviera

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I will have to give this one a try before the month is out!

[jsmeeker]

This is a total gateway cocktail for people who don't think they like the bitter cordials.

First, a couple days before you are having a party, infuse 4 cups of gin (a good srtong one like Tanq or Beefeater) 2 cups of Maraschino (Luxardo) and a cup of Campari with a pineapple that had been skinned and sliced into thick wedges.  Let sit for at least 24 hours, 48 is better.

This cocktail is all pineapply goodness then with Campari creeps up on you.

The Riviera

2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Simple Syrup

1  Egg White

Glass:  Coupe

Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.

Ice:  None

Mime Shake.  Add KD.  Shake.  Strain.  Serve up.

Toby

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what is "mime shake" and what is "KD"?? I'm sure you've used these terms here before, but they are not clicking with me right now.

Speaking of Campari, I just finished off a Caricature Cocktail. Spied it in Joy of Mixology

Gin

sweet vermouth

triple sec

Campari

grapefruit juice.

Pretty nice. Man.. Do I love Campari.

[slkinsey]

"Mime shake" means to shake the liquid ingredients without any ice (sometimes also called "dry shaking" or "pre-shaking"). This helps with egg drinks to emulsify the eggs and whip air into them. After you do this, you add the ice and shake again.

"KD" = Kold Draft ice cubes. At home, you can use regular ice cube trays, or you can buy trays that will make actual cubic ice cubes that are similar in size to Kold Draft cubes. Or, what I like best, is one cube of "big ice" (approximately 2x2) and several KD-sized cubes. I find that this works best, especially for egg drinks.

[jsmeeker]

"Mime shake" means to shake the liquid ingredients without any ice (sometimes also called "dry shaking" or "pre-shaking").  This helps with egg drinks to emulsify the eggs and whip air into them.  After you do this, you add the ice and shake again.

"KD" = Kold Draft ice cubes.  At home, you can use regular ice cube trays, or you can buy trays that will make actual cubic ice cubes that are similar in size to Kold Draft cubes.  Or, what I like best, is one cube of "big ice" (approximately 2x2) and several KD-sized cubes.  I find that this works best, especially for egg drinks.

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ah.. excellent.. I have done "mime shaking" before for exactly the reasons you state. I just didn't know that was a term for the technique.

If I ever had the space/setup and money, I would love a small Kold Draft icemaker at home. Thanks for the clearing up "KD" as well.

[slkinsey]

I wouldn't say that there is any codified or generally accepted terminology for shaking the ingredients together without the ice. Not sure I've heard anyone say "mime shake" before. I simply inferred the meaning from Toby's recipe (which includes an egg white) and the instructions.

[Alchemist]

The term that I have heard the most is "dry shake" and that just doesn't make any sense, there's plenty of liquid in the shaker. When you shake with kold-draft it's really loud. So it's suprising and a little disorenting to see some one shaking in silence.

Toby

[Chris Amirault]

In a frenzy of pineapple infusion this weekend (including three big rum jobs), I have about 2c of original Campari infusing with pineapple. In a few weeks I'll try an adjusted Riveria with this not-quite-right infusion (missing the gin and maraschino) -- but if anyone (Toby?) has tips before then, do let me know.

[bostonapothecary]

In a frenzy of pineapple infusion this weekend (including three big rum jobs), I have about 2c of original Campari infusing with pineapple. In a few weeks I'll try an adjusted Riveria with this not-quite-right infusion (missing the gin and maraschino) -- but if anyone (Toby?) has tips before then, do let me know.

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i don't infuse my pineapples. i juice and clarify them... i also like them in a mature preserve... fresh pineapple is a beautiful thing but mature oxidized pineapple can have an old wine sort of character...

if you have any wray and nephews laying around there is a good rum punch recipe on my site...

[Chris Amirault]

The Riveria is ingenious. There's been a crush of ripe pineapples up here, and I urge all to try this out.

[Alchemist]

In a frenzy of pineapple infusion this weekend (including three big rum jobs), I have about 2c of original Campari infusing with pineapple. In a few weeks I'll try an adjusted Riveria with this not-quite-right infusion (missing the gin and maraschino) -- but if anyone (Toby?) has tips before then, do let me know.

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Have an idea or two. take the pineapple out after 48 hours, for the love of all things holy. You can then add some orange or/and grapefrute zest that will add some cool layers. Squeeze the oils out of the skin first.

Ok. Egg white first in case you leave a shell in the tin you can throw it out without wasting the booze. Or you can stick your finger in there and it is eaiser to get the shard out than if you have the gin in it, or Pisco. Lemon would be my choice to give it structure. Then some Simple, about as much as usual as the pineapple and the Campari balance eachother out. Then you need a platform, Orange craracao would work, so would Cacao...if you are feeling randy. I would add a bit of Regan's bitters on top to compliment the whole thing.

ok, how about a Manhattan with the infused potable bitters as a rinse. West Coast, I know, but might be interesting.

Toby

Edited August 28, 2008 by Alchemist (log)

[nikkib]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fo...ivo-856031.html

this is definitely my favourite campari drink at the moment....

[haresfur]

My latest Campari sacrilege:

1 Campari

2 Tawney Port

2 dashes Fee's Orange Bitters

Orange twist to garnish

Mix Campari and port over ice, add bitters and garnish.

I figured "way bitter" and "way sweet" ought to work together. The orange bitters really make the difference to me. I tried Regan's orange bitters and they didn't seem quite right.

[Wild Bill Turkey]

In case some folks don't know about this product...

Kallnacher Red Absinthe Bitter is a bitter, very similar to Campari, ( it even says so on the page advertising it) but mixed with Kallnacher Absinthe.

It sounds crazy, perhaps, but enough people wanted it that the Mätter Distillery made it and test-marketed it, and it has sold very well for several years since its introduction. I've been drinking it as suggested on the bottle, with French lemonade ( lemon-lime soda) and it goes down terrifyingly easily. It's also fairly low alcohol in this concoction, and makes a very refreshing sunday-morning-on-the-porch drink.

Maybe the cocktail minds on this forum could do something more with it?

Kallnacher Red Absinthe Bitter ( scroll to the very bottom of the linked page )

[organicmatter]

The Riviera

2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Simple Syrup

1  Egg White

Glass:  Coupe

Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.

Ice:  None

Mime Shake.  Add KD.  Shake.  Strain.  Serve up.

Toby

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Good God that is an amazing tipple. For anyone wondering whether the infusion is worth your time, it absolutely is (and it's simple enough to scale down).

[brinza]

This would seem to be the answer to the question discussed here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1423576

The Savoy Cocktail Book includes a drink that calls for (in addition to absinthe) "absinthe bitters."

[eje]

This would seem to be the answer to the question discussed here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1423576

The Savoy Cocktail Book includes a drink that calls for (in addition to absinthe) "absinthe bitters."

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Well, except for the fact that the product didn't exist in 1930.

I'm still sticking with "Gin and Wormwood" as the current best answer for "Absinthe Bitters" in the Savoy Cocktail Book.

[brinza]

This would seem to be the answer to the question discussed here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1423576

The Savoy Cocktail Book includes a drink that calls for (in addition to absinthe) "absinthe bitters."

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Well, except for the fact that the product didn't exist in 1930.

I'm still sticking with "Gin and Wormwood" as the current best answer for "Absinthe Bitters" in the Savoy Cocktail Book.

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Okay, I mistook the product description's mention of Martinazzi Bitter as suggesting that this had been around since 1929, but that was only referring to a product which was the Campari-like component in the Kallnacher. My bad.

[MattJohnson]

This is a total gateway cocktail for people who don't think they like the bitter cordials.

First, a couple days before you are having a party, infuse 4 cups of gin (a good srtong one like Tanq or Beefeater) 2 cups of Maraschino (Luxardo) and a cup of Campari with a pineapple that had been skinned and sliced into thick wedges.  Let sit for at least 24 hours, 48 is better.

This cocktail is all pineapply goodness then with Campari creeps up on you.

The Riviera

2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Simple Syrup

1  Egg White

Glass:  Coupe

Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.

Ice:  None

Mime Shake.  Add KD.  Shake.  Strain.  Serve up.

Toby

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How long will the infused Campari keep? My wife hasn't loved Campari (the negroni was our drink of the month - new years resolution that has been fun to keep) and I'm going to try this out and give it another go.

[organicmatter]

This is a total gateway cocktail for people who don't think they like the bitter cordials.

First, a couple days before you are having a party, infuse 4 cups of gin (a good srtong one like Tanq or Beefeater) 2 cups of Maraschino (Luxardo) and a cup of Campari with a pineapple that had been skinned and sliced into thick wedges.  Let sit for at least 24 hours, 48 is better.

This cocktail is all pineapply goodness then with Campari creeps up on you.

The Riviera

2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Simple Syrup

1  Egg White

Glass:  Coupe

Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.

Ice:  None

Mime Shake.  Add KD.  Shake.  Strain.  Serve up.

Toby

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How long will the infused Campari keep? My wife hasn't loved Campari (the negroni was our drink of the month - new years resolution that has been fun to keep) and I'm going to try this out and give it another go.

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To the best of my understanding it should essentially keep indefinitely because of the relatively high alcohol content of the final infusion. In an effort to intentionally keep the ABV high, I took the advice of a friend and used Seagram's Distiller's Reserve for the infusion because it's 1.) cheap, and 2.) 102 proof. I especially wanted something strong to keep the ABV high despite the maraschino and Campari.

And yes, in the final infusion (and especially once you mix up a Riveria) the bitterness of the Campari is nearly gone. A definite Campari gateway drink.

[MattJohnson]

That was what I thought, but wanted to check. Thanks.

[Alchemist]

This is a total gateway cocktail for people who don't think they like the bitter cordials.

First, a couple days before you are having a party, infuse 4 cups of gin (a good srtong one like Tanq or Beefeater) 2 cups of Maraschino (Luxardo) and a cup of Campari with a pineapple that had been skinned and sliced into thick wedges.  Let sit for at least 24 hours, 48 is better.

This cocktail is all pineapply goodness then with Campari creeps up on you.

The Riviera

2 oz Pineapple Infused Campari

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Simple Syrup

1  Egg White

Glass:  Coupe

Garnish: Mint Leaf, 5 drops of orange bitters.

Ice:  None

Mime Shake.  Add KD.  Shake.  Strain.  Serve up.

Toby

←

How long will the infused Campari keep? My wife hasn't loved Campari (the negroni was our drink of the month - new years resolution that has been fun to keep) and I'm going to try this out and give it another go.

←

To the best of my understanding it should essentially keep indefinitely because of the relatively high alcohol content of the final infusion. In an effort to intentionally keep the ABV high, I took the advice of a friend and used Seagram's Distiller's Reserve for the infusion because it's 1.) cheap, and 2.) 102 proof. I especially wanted something strong to keep the ABV high despite the maraschino and Campari.

And yes, in the final infusion (and especially once you mix up a Riveria) the bitterness of the Campari is nearly gone. A definite Campari gateway drink.

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It will last but should be drank quickly, as there will be a loss of freshness in the organic matter that remains after straining. And it should be kept in the fridge. This will mean you have to shake it a little longer to get the proper water content.

Toby

[MattJohnson]

Thanks, Toby. I just made a quarter batch as it will just be 2 of us trying it. I assume that one is supposed to leave it out of the fridge during the infusion and then stored in the fridge after.

Can't wait to try it. Actually, I might make it down to Chicago this weekend. If I can, I'll stop by TVH and try one so I can know how bad I failed.