These essential Campari cocktails are must-try recipes perfect for using up a bottle! Try everything from a classic Negroni to a bubbly spritz.
Ahh, Campari. This Italian bitter aperitif has adoring fans all over the world. And for good reason: it’s flavor is nuanced, bittersweet and herbaceous all at once! It was invented in Italy back in the 1860s, and spawned famous Campari cocktails like the Negroni and Americano.
But there are so many more things to do with a bottle of Campari! If you’re looking for inspiration to use up your bottle, here are all the best ways to use it. From the smoky Mezcal Negroni to the bourbon hints in the Boulevardier to the light and bubbly Campari Spritz, there’s something for everyone.
And now, the best Camapri cocktails!
Need a light mixed drink? Try the Campari spritz! Bitter and bubbly, this cocktail mixes the popular aperativo with sparkling wine and soda water. What could be more refreshing? Campari is bitter-forward, so this cocktail is a drink is made for Campari lovers. It’s a cousin of the popular Aperol spritz!
Ingredients: Campari, Prosecco (or other sparkling wine), soda water
Here’s a cocktail that beats the Negroni every time the Boulevardier. It’s smooth, rich, spicy, bitter, and warm all at once. The vibrant red jewel tone makes it stunning to look at. It’s essentially a Negroni made with whiskey instead of gin, and wow! The sweetness of the bourbon perfectly balances the flavor.
Ingredients: Campari, sweet vermouth, bourbon or rye whiskey
Here's a favorite Campari cocktail: meet the Siesta! This unexpected combination of tequila, Campari and fresh citrus juice is deliciously intriguing. Each sip is balanced and refreshing, with a sweet tart body and a hint of bitter on the finish. One sip in, you'll be sold.
Ingredients: Campari, tequila, grapefruit juice and lime juice
Meet the Negroni sbagliato, a “mixed up” version of the classic cocktail using sparkling wine instead of gin. The lightly sweet Prosecco against the bitter Campari and sweet vermouth makes for a better balanced flavor than with gin. Plus, who can’t resist a little bubbly?
Ingredients: Campari, sweet vermouth, Prosecco
Here's one of the most unique Campari cocktails out there: the Jungle Bird! It’s one of the few rum drinks to pair tropical flavors with this Italian bitter. Add it to a tropical drink and the effect is surprising. Campari perfectly balances the drink and gives the finish an intriguing complexity. In fact, it’s become a favorite around here…and that’s saying something, given our extensive library of cocktails. It hits all the right notes: sweet, tart, fruity, and bitter.
Ingredients: Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, dark rum
Here’s a unique Campari cocktail: the Garibaldi! This Italian cocktail has so much going for it, it’s hard to know where to start. Orange juice is the perfect sweet balance to bitter Campari. There’s a little textural little flair with a foamy topping. And the flavor? It comes out ultra refreshing with bitter, sweet and tangy notes all intermingling in the perfect sip.
Here’s a light and refreshing classic cocktail that’s perfect for summer afternoons: the Americano! It’s the original inspiration for the Negroni and is even better, in our opinion. It’s bitter, complex and bubbly all at once! Starring Campari and vermouth, it’s both sophisticated and carefree at the same time. Also try: Campari and Soda
Ingredients: Campari, sweet vermouth, soda water
Here’s a crisp, punchy three-ingredient drink that’s sleek and sippable: the Old Pal cocktail! It’s complex and spirit-forward, a unique whiskey cocktail if you love dry cocktails like a Negroni or a Manhattan. The Old Pal pairs bitter Campari with dry vermouth and fiery rye whiskey into a drink that’s dry, bitter and spicy all at once.
Ingredients: Campari, dry vermouth, bourbon or rye whiskey
Looking for a complex cocktail to sip on? Here’s a cocktail that improves on the classic: the mezcal Negroni! This drink takes all that’s good about a Negroni, and makes it even better. The intense smokiness of mezcal perfectly balances the sweetness of the vermouth and bitterness of Campari.
Ingredients: Campari, sweet vermouth, mezcal
Here's THE classic Italian cocktail: the Negroni! It’s equal parts refreshing, bitter, and complex: a drink that you’ll want to sit with and savor a while. And doesn’t it look stunning? The bright red of the Campari makes for a stunning jewel-tone statement of a drink. This three ingredient cocktail is easy to make: and memorize, because it uses 1 ounce of each of its three components.
Ingredients: Campari, sweet vermouth, gin
More about Campari
Campari is an Italian bitter (amaro) and you can identify it by its bright red jewel-toned color! It was invented back in the 1860’s in Italy as an aperitif, a drink to stimulate your appetite before a meal. Campari tastes bitter, fruity, and spicy all at once. It’s is infused with different herbs and fruits (part of a secret recipe). You’ll taste notes of cherry, clove, cinnamon and orange peel. It’s got a fairly high alcohol content (48 proof) and is used in classic cocktails like the Negroni and the Americano.
Fun fact: Campari was originally colored so brightly red due to a dye made of crushed insects! That’s no longer in the modern recipe, so it shouldn’t deter you from grabbing a bottle.
Tip: Want a substitute for this specialty liqueur? Go to Best Campari Substitute.
Print10 Best Campari Cocktails
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
Description
The Campari spritz is bitter and bubbly: a refreshing mixed drink for sipping! Make this easy cocktail with 3 ingredients in 3 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) Campari
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) sparkling wine, such as Prosecco, sparkling rosé, champagne
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) soda water
- Ice (try clear ice!)
Instructions
- Add the Campari to glass filled with ice and stir. Top with the sparkling wine and soda water.
- Squeeze in the lemon wedge and stir gently, then serve.
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Campari Cocktails
More types of cocktails
Outside of these Campari cocktails, there are so many more great cocktail recipes! Here are some of our best drink collections:
- Sour Cocktails All the very best sours: Whiskey Sour, Sidecar, even the Margarita and Mojito.
- Gin Cocktails All the classics: Gin Fizz, Tom Collins, Gin and Tonic, and more!
- Vodka Cocktails There are so many tasty classic drinks to try, from the Moscow mule to the Cosmo to the vodka tonic.
- Bourbon Cocktails Try these bourbon greats: the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and more.
- Champagne Cocktails These cocktails are light and bubbly! Perfect for celebration.
- Cranberry Cocktails Cranberry cocktails are so refreshing, like Vodka Cranberry and Sea Breeze.
- Frozen Alcoholic Drinks Cool off with Frose or Frozen Sangria.