Happy Hour: What to Do With Campari

by Diana Vilibert

Last time around, I asked you guys to email me your alcohol conundrums, and it broke my heart to hear about all the lonely bottles of liquor pushed to the back of your fridges/under your beds and ignored. Don’t worry, I’m on it. Let’s start with this:

I recently bought Campari, thinking it was going to be a slightly sweet, mostly tangy drink. Turns out — and I think everyone on the planet knew this but me — it’s bitter as hell and supposed to be that way. Aside from that one article that gave the whole gin-tonic-Campari thing (of which I was not a fan), what else do I do with it? I can’t do the super dry and bitter drinks…any suggestions?

It’s true, Campari is sneaky — she’s so pink and sweet-looking on the outside, but at the core, she’s a bitter bitch. But don’t despair. Legend has it, even Italian natives say that one must try Campari three times before acquiring a taste for it. Here are two recipes to give it a try — from sweetest to less so, so you can work your way through and get used to the flavor (try it on the rocks too!). Tell me how it turns out, will you?

Campari Nobile

2 parts Campari

2 parts Absolut vodka

5 parts orange juice

5 parts raspberry juice

1 part Limoncello

Splash of Bitter Lemon (it’s like a tonic with lemon — try Schweppes or Fever Tree)

Directions: Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add vodka, Campari, Limoncello, orange juice, and raspberry juice. Shake and strain into a chilled highball glass filled with ice cubes. Top with bitter lemon.

The Count

1 part Beefeater gin

1 part Campari

1 part sweet vermouth

Half an orange, chopped into small pieces

Lemon zest

Directions: Muddle all ingredients together, add crushed ice, churn, and then top with more crushed ice.

Note: This is a slightly zestier, fruitier twist on the classic Negroni (which is one part gin, one part Campari, and one sweet vermouth), so it’s a good one to try if you’re still iffy about Campari bitterness. And if you’re not a fan of gin (in which case, I mean, I can’t even look at your right now), try one part citrus-flavored vodka instead of gin — Absolut Citron is my top choice for one that doesn’t have that chemical lemon taste.

Previously: Bombay Sapphire Gin Heads East.

Diana Vilibert is a freelance drinker and writer living in Brooklyn. Email your pressing “what the hell do I do with this” questions to [email protected].

Images courtesy Campari (main), Absolut (Campari Nobile), and Beefeater (The Count)