Campari is one of the world’s most iconic and enduring apéritifs — a vibrant, intensely aromatic bitter liqueur crafted from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit in alcohol and water. Its secret recipe, created by Gaspare Campari in Novara, Italy in 1860, remains known only to a handful of people to this day — with alcohol and water the only publicly confirmed ingredients. Vibrant red in colour, with a distinctive bitter taste and extraordinary versatility, Campari is the essential ingredient in some of the world’s most celebrated cocktails, and equally rewarding served with soda, citrus juice, or Prosecco as a spritz.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Vivid, luminous ruby red — the unmistakable, iconic colour of Campari, as striking in the glass as it is on the bar. A visual signature that has remained unchanged since 1860.
Aroma
Intensely aromatic and captivating — bitter orange peel, herbs, and spice weave together in a complex, layered bouquet that is immediately distinctive. The nose of a liqueur with a secret recipe and over 160 years of history behind it.
Palate
Bold and bittersweet — bitter herbs and citrus peel lead, with a complex interplay of aromatic plants and fruit that builds through the mid-palate to a long, pleasantly bitter finish. Intensely flavoured, deeply versatile, and unmistakably Campari.
Pairs With
Campari is the essential ingredient in a classic Negroni or Aperol Spritz alternative, and pairs beautifully with soda water and a slice of orange, Prosecco as a spritz, or citrus juice for a lighter serve — a genuinely versatile apéritif for any occasion.
The Negroni
The Negroni is one of the most celebrated Italian cocktails in the world — invented in 1919 by Count Negroni, who requested gin in place of soda in his Americano in honour of a recent trip to London. Simple, balanced, and timeless, it is part of the official IBA cocktail list and prepared the world over to this original recipe.
Serve in a rocks glass over ice:
- 30ml Campari
- 30ml gin
- 30ml red vermouth
- 1 slice of orange to garnish
Pour all ingredients directly into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a slice of orange.
