Campari Cocktails

[Alchemist]

You can cold infuse it if you have nice ripe pineapples, and you go the full 48 hours. If you are not doing it the fridge keep it in the coolest part of your house, and make sure you throw some boiling water into infusion container to get rid of anything that would start the turning process.

Hope you enjoy your time at TVH,

Toby

[eje]

So I'm confused.

Are you infusing the pineapple in the gin or the campari? Or making a bottled cocktail with it?

I would expect pineapple infused gin to keep pretty well, given the proof. The pineapple flavor will evolve as the fresh aromatics oxidize.

Pineapple infused campari, I wouldn't expect to keep for very long, given the sugar content and low proof.

[avant-garde]

So I'm confused.

Are you infusing the pineapple in the gin or the campari?  Or making a bottled cocktail with it?

I would expect pineapple infused gin to keep pretty well, given the proof.  The pineapple flavor will evolve as the fresh aromatics oxidize.

Pineapple infused campari, I wouldn't expect to keep for very long, given the sugar content and low proof.

←

I make mine by adding the following ingredients to a pitcher:

2 Cups Gin

1 Cup Maraschino

1/2 Cup Campari

1 whole Pineapple (largely chopped)

Put in the fridge and let it infuse for 24 to 48 hours. Then strain the pineapple out. I then just funnel it into an empty bottle and use for the cocktail.

[MattJohnson]

You can cold infuse it if you have nice ripe pineapples, and you go the full 48 hours.  If you are not doing it the fridge keep it in the coolest part of your house, and make sure you throw some boiling water into infusion container to get rid of anything that would start the turning process.

Hope you enjoy your time at TVH,

Toby

←

We had a great time at TVH. Troy took great care of us. I did a mostly campari night - starting with the riviera, moved onto the paper airplane, and finished with the summer old fashioned (non campari, but had to try the hibiscus syrup).

I didn't get your message in time (had to go out of town for a couple days) but everything seemed to be ok. I just had it on the counter for 48 hours. I should have sterilized the jar as you said, but things seem to be ok. I didn't make a ton, so we'll probably use it up pretty quickly. This will be our first time making drinks with egg-whites. I'll let you know how it turns out.

/Matt

Edited September 23, 2008 by MattJohnson (log)

[lemon_twist]

has anyone added campari to a mojito? does campari even work with rum?

for some reason lime/mint/campari sound good to me...and would dark or white rum be better?

←

I had an Austrian neighbor that used to serve a dark rum, campari, and orange juice drink. Don't know the ratios though.

[shantytownbrown]

Just tried this tnite, wanted to send it out for opinions..

does it already have a name?

Negroni-san?

1oz each:

Sake

Campari

Domaine de Canton ginger

on the rocks, gently stirred

lemon twist garnish

thoughts?

sb

[Chris Amirault]

Writing about the Violet Hour's Riviera, Toby said,

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.

←

A big fan of the Riviera, I had a pineapple steeping for three days and had to strain it off before going on a trip. The sieve full of pineapple presented a curious problem, which I solved forthwith.

So I say to you: not only is the Riviera a fine cocktail, but the leftover pineapple is the breakfast of champions, particularly leading up to a cross-country flight.

[Jaymes]

Apparently, there is a real chance of a severe allergic reaction and anaphylactic shock with a certain small subset of the human population when exposed to natural carmine/cochineal.

I assume this informed gruppo campari's decision to remove it from Campari.

Pesky arthropods spoiling all our fun.

←

I wonder if there's been any sort of national outcry in Italy over the changing of this near-sacred formula. Anyone heard?

[slkinsey]

See discussion here.

The impression I get from the Italians I know is that they don't think it tastes any different than it always did. My hypothesis is that the "old formula" Campari in the US tastes different due to the effects of aging/oxidation.

[mkayahara]

Having recently had a Riviera at The Violet Hour and a Rathbone's Delight (sp?) at Flatiron Lounge, I'm now convinced that there's some serious alchemy that goes on when Campari and pineapple juice meet. Anyone have any other drinks that use this combo?

[haresfur]

Feeling better now:

2 Tbs. blood orange marmalade dissolved in 1 oz Perrier

2 oz Campari

2 oz Scotch (or was it 1.5 oz? had to do some adjusting. I used Abelour 12 yr)

Stir with ice, strain and add Perrier to taste.

[Chris Amirault]

That sounds really interesting. Needs a name: Sandy Blood?

[haresfur]

That sounds really interesting. Needs a name: Sandy Blood?

I like it

[Kohai]

Question:

Is Campari considered an amaro? I'm finding some disagreement on this point and I'm uncertain, myself.

[KD1191]

Question:

Is Campari considered an amaro? I'm finding some disagreement on this point and I'm uncertain, myself.

Well, it's a bitter, and amaro means bitter in Italian, but I can't say I've seen Campari referred to as an amaro. I don't know if I could put my finger on exactly why. I guess, for one, campari is considered an aperitif, while amaros are generally digestifs.

[Kohai]

Good point.

And just in case we're not tired of hilarious bartending videos yet:

http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink7620.html

"A lot of ladies like it... It's very sweet, with a little aftertaste 'cuz of the soda."

And don't miss the failest flair ever starting at 0:58. BWAHAHA.

[Kohai]

Re: Is Campari an amaro?

A colleague suggested to me last night that the word amaro denotes the presence of fortified or aromatized wine in it. Campari lacks it, so it is not an amaro. Does this sound plausible?

[Alcuin]

Re: Is Campari an amaro?

A colleague suggested to me last night that the word amaro denotes the presence of fortified or aromatized wine in it. Campari lacks it, so it is not an amaro. Does this sound plausible?

Well amaro means "bitter" in Italian, so its probably the bitterness that's the most important factor.

[daisy17]

Re: Is Campari an amaro?

A colleague suggested to me last night that the word amaro denotes the presence of fortified or aromatized wine in it. Campari lacks it, so it is not an amaro. Does this sound plausible?

My understanding is that amari (Italian for "bitter") are usually (if not always) fortified spirits. (In contrast to, say, vermouth, which is a fortified wine, and therefore spoils quickly.) Campari is an amaro, but it is traditionally an aperitif, while most other amari (perhaps except for Cynar?) are digestifs.

[thirtyoneknots]

As Alcuin and daisy17 noted, Amaro (pl: amari) means 'bitter' in Italian, same as amargo in Spanish or amer in French. The base of the beverage is incidental, I'd say, and broad interpretation would include vermouths as well as the more traditionally understood items like Campari, Fernet, etc. Since bitter flavors help aid digestion, they can be taken as aperitifs (Camapri, Aperol, Vermouth) or digestifs (Fernet, Averna). Some I think have flexibility in this regard (Cynar, Ramazotti).

But the term itself has no bearing on the alcohol base involved.

[daisy17]

As Alcuin and daisy17 noted, Amaro (pl: amari) means 'bitter' in Italian, same as amargo in Spanish or amer in French. The base of the beverage is incidental, I'd say, and broad interpretation would include vermouths as well as the more traditionally understood items like Campari, Fernet, etc. Since bitter flavors help aid digestion, they can be taken as aperitifs (Camapri, Aperol, Vermouth) or digestifs (Fernet, Averna). Some I think have flexibility in this regard (Cynar, Ramazotti).

But the term itself has no bearing on the alcohol base involved.

Does that mean that there are wine-based amari?

[jk1002]

I do Campari with normal Aranciata and a good squeeze of lime juice. The lime juice takes out a bit of the sweetness of the Campari. Served with lots of ice in the glas.

Not really Campari related, when I need an aperitif without booze I usually turn to Sanbitter with Lime juice and crushed ice, this has a similar flavour profile as Campari based drinks.

JK

[thirtyoneknots]

As Alcuin and daisy17 noted, Amaro (pl: amari) means 'bitter' in Italian, same as amargo in Spanish or amer in French. The base of the beverage is incidental, I'd say, and broad interpretation would include vermouths as well as the more traditionally understood items like Campari, Fernet, etc. Since bitter flavors help aid digestion, they can be taken as aperitifs (Camapri, Aperol, Vermouth) or digestifs (Fernet, Averna). Some I think have flexibility in this regard (Cynar, Ramazotti).

But the term itself has no bearing on the alcohol base involved.

Does that mean that there are wine-based amari?

Some, including myself, include Vermouth in the category, particularly the heavily aromatized ones like Carpano. Punt e Mes is considerably more bitter, to my palate, than something like Averna.

[thirtyoneknots]

And since this is the thread on Campari Cocktails, I thought I'd take this opportunity to throw in there that Anvil in Houston has its new menu out as of a couple of weeks ago, including--get this--a Campari Alexander. Mind-Blowing.

eta: While I originally said "Mind-blowing" I think "Mind-bending" actually describes this drink better.

Edited October 23, 2009 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[daisy17]

As Alcuin and daisy17 noted, Amaro (pl: amari) means 'bitter' in Italian, same as amargo in Spanish or amer in French. The base of the beverage is incidental, I'd say, and broad interpretation would include vermouths as well as the more traditionally understood items like Campari, Fernet, etc. Since bitter flavors help aid digestion, they can be taken as aperitifs (Camapri, Aperol, Vermouth) or digestifs (Fernet, Averna). Some I think have flexibility in this regard (Cynar, Ramazotti).

But the term itself has no bearing on the alcohol base involved.

Does that mean that there are wine-based amari?

Some, including myself, include Vermouth in the category, particularly the heavily aromatized ones like Carpano. Punt e Mes is considerably more bitter, to my palate, than something like Averna.

Interesting. I wouldn't include vermouth as amari, not because it's not bitter, but because it seems like an entirely different category to me as a fortified wine. I can see how you could go there though, especially since I often switch out vermouth in cocktails in favor of (what I consider to be) amaro.