There is an opinion that beloved children are called the names of parents. We do not know how reliable this fact is for all families, but at Campari it is one hundred percent valid. The liquor of the same name is its most popular and sought after offspring. Campari, dressed in deep red and sealed with a gold label, is excellent both in cocktails and on its own. It is exported to almost 190 countries. Our article will help you get closer to the star and not get burned in the rays of its glory.
History reference
The history of Kampari begins in the 1840s when Gaspare Kampari began experimenting with the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. He spent 2 decades creating bitter aperitifs before arriving at the famous recipe.
In the late 1860s, Gaspare and his family moved to Milan (Milano), where he opened the Campari cafe. The institution became the mini-homeland of the Milan-Torino cocktail, later renamed Americano.
In the 1880s, the creator of the liquor, in collaboration with local artists, immortalized his brainchild in art, while pushing his sales through advertising posters.
In 1904, the Campari historical production site was opened in Sesto San Giovanni, which exists to this day.
In the 1920s, the company was transferred to the sons of Gaspara. They stopped producing all drinks except Campari liqueur. After a break due to the Second World War in the late 40s, the mass production of a bitter aperitif began again. At the same time, a new advertising campaign was launched under the direction of the artist Carlo Fisanotti.
For all the years that have passed since the invention of the liquor, its recipe changed only once.
From the very beginning, manufacturers used carmine to get their characteristic red color. It is a dye obtained from dried and crushed cochineal insects. Under pressure from vegetarians in 2006, the company opted for artificial colors.
What kind of drink is this?
Campari is a bitter aperitif with a rich aroma and intense ruby color. It is a mixture of infusion of herbs and spices, alcohol, water and sugar syrup.
The exact recipe for Campari, like many unique drinks, is kept in the strictest confidence. Even factory workers are not aware of which ingredients are used. All containers with components have only serial numbering.
The taste of the liquor is divided into 3 stages:
- It begins with a sweetness, but not excessive, which goes off relatively quickly;
- Further, bitterness is revealed with dominant tones of bitter orange and gentian;
- The aftertaste is dominated by herbal notes.
Cooking technology
During the production process, dry ingredients are soaked in water for about 2 days. Then the infusion is mixed with alcohol and plenty of water and matures in huge tanks for a little over 2 weeks. The color of the drink at the end of this period is brown, the taste is very bitter.
Next, the liquid is drained, and the grass grounds are squeezed strongly, like a tea bag, to obtain the maximum amount of infusion. In addition, the resulting residues are also boiled in order to most fully extract alcohol from them.
At the end, the herbal tincture is mixed with sugar syrup and red artificial dye.
Before bottling, the alcohol levels in various batches of Campari are adjusted according to the final destination. For example, drinks with a strength of 28.5% go to the countries of Eastern Europe, with an alcohol content of 24% go to American markets. In addition, on bottles sold in the USA, it says "Aperitivo" instead of the usual "Bitter". Since the latter for Americans will be only a little more attractive than, say, the designation "Poison".
Today, a huge amount of liquor is sold abroad, but Italians still remain the main consumers of Campari. Although most often it is drunk not bitterly, but like Camparisoda. This is a ready-made cocktail with a strength of 10%, invented by David Campari. It consists of 1 part bitter and 2 parts soda. They sell it in bottles with a characteristic, truncated cone-like shape.
How and with what do they drink it?
If you are new to Campari Bitter, you should not drink it in its pure form. It would be best to mix liquor with orange or grapefruit juice. They serve the drink on their own, usually before meals in combination with citrus fruits or something sweet, to compensate for the bitter taste.
Remember that the "single" Campari must be accompanied by ice cubes.
The tradition of drinking Bitter before eating food is due to the fact that the herbal extracts that make up its composition contribute to a good digestion of the food eaten.
Campari Cocktails
Often people are interested in how to make Campari liqueur at home. There is only one answer to this question: no way! Because the manufacturing company keeps his recipe a closely guarded secret. And all attempts to repeat the composition at random are unlikely to succeed.
But the good news is that in your kitchen you can easily create some kind of cocktail based on Bitter with an incredibly amazing taste. We bring to your attention the 10 most famous and amazing drinks that everyone should know.
Americano
Americano is one of the first Campari-based cocktails. Initially, its name sounded like Milan-Torino. A drink with a mild aroma, but a strong refreshing effect, ideal for hot days.
Components:
- 45 ml Campari;
- 45 ml of sweet vermouth;
- 60-90 ml of soda.
In a glass of highball with ice we pour Campari and vermouth. Top with soda and decorate the glass with a ring of orange.
Boulevard
Boulevardier (Boulevardier) - a little lost autumn cousin of Negroni. In it, gin is replaced by whiskey. At the same time, the relationship between Campari and sweet vermouth remains, but the whiskey fundamentally changes the "plot". The drink has a rich, open taste.
Components:
- 30 ml of whiskey;
- 30 ml Campari;
- 30 ml of sweet vermouth.
In a shaker, mix all the ingredients with crushed ice, shake for 20 seconds and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Decorate with cherry or orange twist.
Bitter sangria
Bitter Sangria is a variation of classical Sangria, which is based on red wine. But the proposed version is notable for the unexpected bitterness of Campari in the center of taste.
Components:
- 400 ml of red wine;
- 100 ml cranberry syrup;
- 150 ml of bourbon;
- 150 ml Campari;
- 1 orange
- Chilled mineral water with gases;
- Fresh cranberries.
Pour red wine, cranberry syrup, bourbon and Campari into a 1 liter jar. Mix thoroughly. Cut the orange into round slices, half of which we put in a container with a drink. We put in the refrigerator until completely cooled.
To serve a 1/2 glass, fill Sangria and dilute it with 60-90 ml of mineral water. Serve the drink with an orange slice and cranberry halves.
Jasmine
Jasmine (Jasmine) - cocktail trap. Due to the pleasant pink color, it creates the impression of a drink for sophisticated ladies. But the shade is given not by the harmless cranberry syrup, but by the bitter Campari. The taste of Jasmine remotely resembles grapefruit juice. He is intense and invigorates well.
Components:
- 15 ml gin;
- 20 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice;
- 10 ml Campari;
- 10 ml Cointreau.
Mix all the ingredients in a shaker with ice for 10 seconds. Fill a chilled glass with a cocktail and decorate with a curl of lemon peel.
Campari Syringe
Campari Spritz is a fellow Aperol Syringe. At the same time, the latter is softer, and the Bitter-based cocktail is “bold and assertive”. It is usually served with green olives, which are a surprisingly tasty partner of a tart, slightly bitter cocktail. It also goes well with cheeses and sausages.
Components:
- 60 ml of Prosecco sparkling wine;
- 60 ml Campari;
- 30 ml of soda.
In a glass with ice, pour sparkling wine, Campari and soda alternately. Gently stir and decorate with olives.
Negroni
Negroni is a classic in the world of cocktails, which owes its longevity to a reliable taste. It consists of only 3 ingredients, taken in equal quantities. It is proved that Negroni cannot be spoiled even by a novice bartender.
Components:
- 30 ml gin;
- 30 ml Campari;
- 30 ml of sweet vermouth.
In the traditional method of preparing a cocktail, all components are poured into a glass filled with ice, mixed well and decorated with orange peel (optional).
Negroni Sagallato
Negroni Sbagliato (Negroni Sbagliato) - a cocktail, spoiling which you can still do something delicious. Its name from Italian is translated as "mistake".
Components:
- 45 ml of sweet vermouth;
- 45 ml Campari;
- 45 ml Prosecco or other sparkling wine.
Pour vermouth and Campari into a glass filled with ice, mix thoroughly. We add sparkling wine and decorate with a slice of orange.
Jungle bird
Jungle Bird is a drink in whose taste the quality of pineapple juice plays an important role. Ideally, freshly squeezed juice is used or whole pieces of fruit are kneaded and sent to a cocktail along with the pulp.
Components:
- 15 ml freshly squeezed lime juice;
- 15 ml of sugar syrup;
- 20 ml Campari;
- 45 ml freshly squeezed pineapple juice;
- 45 ml Rum Cruzan (Cruzan blackstrap).
Mix all the ingredients together with ice in a shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Serve in the Moscow Mule cocktail mug.
Modern Paloma
Modern Paloma (Upgraded Paloma) - an updated version of the famous cocktail Paloma. Citrus fruits give it acidity, which is offset by the tequila herb, Campari bitterness and a subtle salty “hint”. The uniqueness of the drink also lies in the fact that it can be made in large quantities and stored in the refrigerator for about a week. It can be enjoyed not only in the form of a cocktail. It will give an incredible zest to your taste if they are lightly sprinkled with freshly sliced fruit or ice cream.
Ingredients for salted grapefruit component:
- 100 ml of freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice;
- Zest 1 grapefruit;
- 200 g sugar;
- 50 ml lime juice;
- 50 ml of water;
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt.
Cocktail ingredients:
- 60 ml Blanco tequila;
- 30 ml of prepared citrus liquid;
- 20 ml freshly squeezed lime juice;
- 10 ml Campari;
- Mineral water.
To prepare the citrus component, pour the grapefruit zest with sugar and send it to the refrigerator for 24 hours. After 2 days, add grapefruit juice, lime, water and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Remove the grapefruit zest and cool.
For a cocktail in a shaker, mix ice with all the necessary components except mineral water. Shake well for about 15 seconds. Pour into a highball glass. We supplement the drink with mineral water and decorate with a slice of grapefruit.
Old buddy
Old Pal (Old Pal) - a cocktail for winter evenings. It is based on bourbon, which creates a lasting aroma, and Campari, which gives bitterness. The taste of the drink is rich and complex.
Components:
- 45 ml of bourbon;
- 20 ml of dry vermouth;
- 20 ml Campari.
Pour all the components into a shaker filled with 2/3 ice. Mix for about 20 seconds. Send a cocktail to a chilled glass and decorate with a lemon twist.
Price in Italy and in Russia
The price of Campari liqueur in Italy depends entirely on the seller.
It varies from 10 to 20 Euros per 750 ml. In Russia, the cost of a bottle of a drink of a similar volume often exceeds 1,500 rubles.
Camparisoda, a popular aperitif in its homeland, is mainly sold in packages of several bottles with a capacity of 150 ml. The price of a batch of 10 pieces is not more than 10 Euro.
Russian counters are not full of ready-made cocktails. In a few stores, such a product is presented at a price of more than 1000 rubles for 5 bottles of 100 ml.
Seamlessly, gently and completely without bitterness, we presented you with all the information about Campari liqueur. Drink wisely, love soberly, travel bravely and remember: "Opposites attract only in Campari!"
