This year marks the 150th anniversary of Campari, the world’s top-selling aperitif. We’re always happy to use milestones as an excuse for a bit of tippling and figured we’d give Saucy sippers a quick rundown on ways to commemorate the birthday of this oh-so-bitter red spirit.
“Gin and Campari pair so beautifully,” said Eclipse Restaurant’s Lucas Ramsey. A Negroni, made from equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, is a classic Campari-centric cocktail; pairing seltzer with Campari is another standard combo.
Looking to get a bit more lively? Pull out your bar implements, and shake up these bright cocktails: For something light but still puckeringly tart, mix up the Campari Cucumber Cocktail. For something sweet, Ramsey’s own New Buddy (as opposed to the Old Pal, a Campari cocktail of ages past) weighs on the fruity side, particularly with the addition of Cocci Americano, a white aperitif wine that is available at Lukas Liquor and The Wine and Cheese Place.
Campari Cucumber Cocktail Created by Eric Alperin
0.5 oz. fresh lime juice
0.5 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. gin
Seltzer
2 bruised/cracked slices of English cucumber
1 cucumber wheel
• Build all ingredients into a shaker.
• Crack or lightly bruise the two slices of cucumber into the shaker.
• Lightly mix the ingredients with a piece of ice.
• Strain the ingredients into a Collins glass with ice.
• Top with seltzer, garnish with a cucumber wheel and add a straw.
New Buddy Created by Lucas Ramsey
¼ fresh orange (including peel)
6 fresh blueberries
1.5 oz. London dry gin
1 oz. Campari
0.5 oz. Cocci American Aperitivo
0.5 oz. simple syrup
1 egg white
• Muddle orange and blueberries.
• Add muddled fruit and the rest of the ingredients into a shaker.
• Dry shake for 10 seconds.
• Add ice.
• Hard shake for 20 seconds.
• Double strain into a cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a circular-shaped orange peel and a fresh blueberry threaded on a cocktail pick, inserted in the glass to resemble an umbrella.
This article appears in Jul 1-31, 2010.