20 Of The Best Campari Cocktails

The traditional way to incorporate Campari into your drinks is to use the herb-flavored bitters liqueur as an apéritif.

Some Campari cocktails may not even taste particularly alcoholic due to the taste of the liqueur itself and the citrus juices that can be used with it.

However, the cocktails should typically be a warm red color which gives them a rich, inviting appearance. 

In this guide, we will look at 17 of the best Campari cocktails with a bonus section dedicated to the classics. 

1. Siesta

The Siesta probably won’t send you to sleep, but it is a cocktail that is to be enjoyed slowly.

Shake together freshly squeezed lime juice and grapefruit juice with simple syrup, Campari, and tequila with ice in a cocktail shaker.

Pour into a large, low ball glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge. 

2. English Marmalade

Of course, the name is down to the inclusion of some tasty orange marmalade which gives the cocktail its vibrant appearance.

Stir in the marmalade with the gin in the shaker to dissolve it before adding dry gin, Campari, freshly squeezed lemon juice, strong sugar syrup, and Angostura orange bitters.

Throw in some ice into the shaker, shake then finely strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

3. Campari Spritz

The Campari Spritz is a stunning and simple cocktail that only requires three ingredients. Drop a few ice cubes into a lowball glass then add Campari, Prosecco, and sparkling water.

Garnish with a summery combination of strawberries and orange slices. 

4. Campari Sangria

Herby, fruity, and ideal for summer, Sangria can be served with Campari too.

You can serve it in bulk too so grab a large pitcher and combine orange juice, lemon juice, Campari, and Cointreau then dissolve some honey.

Add dry rosé wine with sliced orange, lemon, and strawberries then combine, refrigerate for around an hour and serve over ice.

5. Campari Old Fashioned

You can also make an Old Fashioned with Campari and this is a rewarding, slow-sipping cocktail (see also our favorite keto cocktails). In a mixing glass with ice, combine rye whiskey, Campari, and simple syrup (ideally brown sugar simple syrup).

Once chilled and thoroughly mixed, strain the cocktail into an Old Fashioned glass with one ice cube and express over some lemon peel then use as a garnish. 

6. Italian Gin And Tonic

A Gin and Tonic need not seem fusty, as this Campari-styled one demonstrates. In an ice-filled highball glass, combine Campari, sweet vermouth, and, of course, dry gin.

Top it off with some tonic water then garnish with a twist of orange peel or maybe some rosemary. 

7. Enzoni

For a great cocktail that only uses a few familiar ingredients, create an Enzoni. Muddle around five grapes (red or green, whichever is your preference) then add ice with Campari, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

Shake it until cold to the touch then double strain into a rocks glass with one clear ice cube. 

8. Jungle Bird

To feel like you are at the beach, try a rum-backed cocktail like the Jungle Bird. Simply shake together blackstrap rum with freshly squeezed pineapple juice and lime juice, Campari, and simple syrup with ice.

Once chilled, strain into a double Old Fashioned glass with one ice cube and garnish with a chunk of pineapple.

9. Jasmine

To gaze upon a Jasmine is to gaze at a Californian-inspired marvel. Shake together gin, Cointreau, Campari, and freshly squeezed lemon juice then pour and double-strain into a chilled Coupe glass.

Garnish with lemon peel, sit back and enjoy. 

10. Venetian Blush

Coral pink in color and vibrant enough to bring color to anyone’s cheeks, the Venetian Blush is used as an apéritif. Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice then add your Campari and vodka.

Add freshly squeezed orange juice (see also ‘24 Refreshing Cocktails Made With Orange Juice‘) with pomegranate juice then gently stir. Top off with sparkling blood orange soda then garnish with some orange peel.

11. Bicicletta Spritz

You do not even need a cocktail shaker to make a Bicicletta Spritz, just a highball glass filled with ice.

Drop in equal parts soda water, Pinot Grigio white wine, and Campari in that order and you may not need to stir it, just watch the combinations of ingredients cascade down the glass. 

12. Sorrentino

From southern Italy comes the Sorrentino, another cocktail to combine Campari with sweet vermouth.

In a double Old Fashioned glass filled with ice, gently stir together sweet vermouth with limoncello and Campari. Top it all off with a dash of soda water. 

13. Shirley Temple Black

A perfect sipping drink, and even an apéritif, the Shirley Temple Black needs to be savored.

Combine soda water, Campari, grenadine, and lime juice then gauge if you want to add more soda water or a dash of Angostura orange bitters. Throw in some ice and garnish with a lime wheel. 

14. Mediterranean Pink Lady

The Mediterranean Pink Lady is a frothy, indulgent cocktail and is one to be truly savored. Dry shake London dry gin, Cointreau, limoncello, Campari, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and an egg white.

Once combined, add ice then shake it again until cold to the touch. Strain into a chilled Coupe glass and garnish with some lemon zest.

15. Flamingo Milanese

The Flamingo Milanese is a cocktail to savor as it takes much longer to prepare than many others.

Start the day before by creating Lime Oleo Saccharum which combines fresh lime peel with superfine granulated sugar and lime juice.

Once the peel has been with the sugar for a full 24 hours, the lime juice is added, stirred, and strained when the sugar has dissolved. 

Combine the Lime Oleo Saccharum with Campari, Galliano l’Autentico, Cachaça, more lime juice, and absinthe in a shaker with ice.

Shake and strain into another tin, then dry shake for a fuller combination. Finely strain the cocktail into a chilled glass and enjoy.

16. Boulevardier

Cocktails can be enjoyed in the cold too and that includes a Boulevardier. Combine bourbon, sweet vermouth, blood orange juice, and Campari in an ice-filled mixing glass.

Once extremely cold, strain into a rocks glass. You can enjoy this with ice or serve it ‘up’ without ice. 

17. Old Pal

If you want a classic rye and Campari cocktail then look no further than an Old Pal. Throw some ice cubes into a mixing glass then stir together your rye whiskey, Campari, and dry vermouth.

Strain the mixture into an ice-filled rocks glass, twist over some orange peel then drop it in as a garnish. 

Bonus: The Classics

The Italian alcoholic liqueur known as Campari has been around since the late 1800s and was initially colored red by using carmine dye.

The rich red color remained, even after the use of carmine dye was discontinued in 2006. As a fixture on many bar shelves, various cocktails that use Campari have taken on an iconic status. 

These include the Negroni, a cocktail that was even mentioned by Orson Welles when he was working in Rome.

The Americano is a variation on the Negroni by just substituting one ingredient which is a subtle but important difference.

Then there is the Garibaldi which is possibly the most simple yet effective cocktail on the list, though you can mix up the ratio if you want. 

18. Negroni

The Negroni has found favor amongst the elite yet can be enjoyed by anyone who wants a classic cocktail. First, add Campari, sweet vermouth, and gin to an Old Fashioned glass with ice then stir.

Squeeze a piece of orange peel into the glass to express its oils then run it around the rim. Drop in the orange peel as a garnish and take your time with it.

19. Americano

Once the Americans became aware of Campari, they decided to create their own variation by replacing gin with soda water. 

No, an Americano does not involve coffee, but it is another of James Bond’s favorite drinks and the first he orders in Ian Fleming’s first novel, ‘Casino Royale’.

To create one, begin by filling a highball glass with ice then combining Campari and sweet vermouth with a bar spoon.

Top it off with some club soda, stir to combine then garnish with an orange slice.

20. Garibaldi

Just like a Screwdriver is simply vodka and orange juice, a Garibaldi combines Campari with orange juice but both ingredients work remarkably well together.

Fill a small highball glass with ice then combine the two ingredients and garnish with an orange wedge. 

Final Thoughts

If you do have a bottle of Campari on the shelf that you are not quite sure what to do with then keep it simple.

Mix it with soda water to get a taste for it then begin your experimenting. A simple Garibaldi can be created just with orange juice and it may be ideal to start off using a citrus fruit as a chaser.

Progress from there and see the difference when you express some citrus peel over the drink as the oils can bring out different notes.

The more complex cocktails use more complex ingredients such as Angostura orange bitters, honey, and various spirits.

If you have them on your shelf already then research which cocktails you can make and then take your time with it.

The more ingredients you use, the more complex the cocktail will be.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Most Ideal Way To Drink Campari?

The most ideal way to drink Campari is traditionally to serve it with two parts of soda water to every part of Campari to create a Campari and Soda.

You will need ice and maybe a slice of orange yet the liqueur can be the base for so many cocktails too. 

What Is The Favored Chaser For Campari?

As a herb-flavored liqueur, Campari goes really well with bitter citrus flavors such as lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit juice.

You will find the juice of various citrus fruits used with Campari to create a full-bodied, rich-tasting cocktail.

However, you can also lighten up the Campari by using soda water or sparkling water.