Aperol, the Italian aperitif that serves as the main component of the ubiquitous Aperol Spritz has a slightly bitter cousin in Campari. Here, we use Campari in place of the slightly sweeter Aperol along with some blood orange juice, Prosecco and grapefruit-flavored sparkling water. To enjoy on a hot summer day while daydreaming of a café on the Italian Riviera.
What is Campari spritz made of?
Ingredients
- handful of ice
- 50ml Campari
- 90ml dry prosecco
- 15ml sparkling water
- orange peel twist, to garnish
Method
- The first step is to fill a tumbler with ice followed by the addition of the liqueur and prosecco.
- Second, fill the glass with carbonated water, give it a quick stir and finish it off with a twist of orange peel.
What does Campari spritz taste like?
The orange peel, cherry, clove, and cinnamon in Campari create a robust bittersweet flavor. To put it simply, it’s one of the most bitter liqueurs in use today.
What are some good alternatives to Campari? Due to its singular flavor profile, this liqueur is difficult to replicate. You can pick some up at any supermarket or convenience store. Any red amaro or Aperol will do in a pinch but Aperol is noticeably sweeter.
How much does it cost?
Campari is priced about where other alcoholic beverages are in the middle. You can expect to pay around $20 for a 375 ml bottle and $25-$30 for a 750 ml bottle.
Is Aperol Spritz the same as Campari?
Aperol was first made in 1919 by Luigi and Silvio Barbieri two Italian brothers from Padua. Gaspare Campari’s namesake bitter was first made roughly 290 years and 145 miles west in Milan.
Both Aperol and Campari have distinctive and eye-catching packaging. Campari’s brilliant red color used to come from a carmine dye which was made from crushed cochineal insects while the origins of Aperol’s reddish-orange hue are deliberately obscured. Yet, in 2006, Gruppo Campari stopped making their products with carmine.
There are hints of bitter orange and gentian and cinchona flowers in Aperol, making it the sweeter of the two. Campari, on the other hand, is significantly more bitter with hints of rhubarb, berries and a floral bouquet of powerful (and mysterious) herbs.
The color of the aperitif can help you remember this distinction: the redder the bitter, the more alcohol it contains. Except in Germany, where it’s 15 percent ABV, Aperol only has 11 percent alcohol by volume. However, Campari’s alcohol by volume (ABV) can be anywhere between 20.5% and 28.5%, depending on where it is sold.
In lighter cocktails, such as the traditional Aperol Spritz which consists of three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol and one part soda, Aperol is typically used as a balancing component due to its lower alcohol by volume and less aggressive flavor. While equal parts of Campari are used in cocktails like the Negroni and the Americano, the former features more prominently due to its stronger flavor.
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