Week of July 31, 2008, Issue #667
DISH
I HARDLY KNOW 'ER - Nothing compares to Campari
Hanne Lynch / hardly@vueweekly.com
It’s gorgeous, it comes in a beautiful bottle, it’s refreshing and it makes fantastic cocktails. So why isn’t Campari more popular? When I went to buy a bottle for this article, the clerk of the first liquor store I tried had never heard of it. At the next store, there was a shelf full of Campari bottles, their ruby-red contents and beautiful labels partly obscured by a thick layer of dust, as if they’d been languishing there for years.
Maybe part of this is colour-trickery. The carmine colouring of Campari, whether mixed with orange or grapefruit juice, with tonic or soda water, makes an exceptionally pretty drink, something that looks like it should be served to a group of girlfriends out on the town. But the unsuspecting sipper might be surprised by its decidedly unsweet punch of bitter flavour. It takes some getting used to: Italians say that you have to try Campari three times to learn to enjoy it. But in the end, believe me, you will.
It’s the namesake of Gaspare Campari, who created and served it as an aperitif (a pre-dinner drink designed to wake up the tastebuds) at his bar in Milan in the 1860s. It gained a following in the US during prohibition, when Americans visiting Italy enjoyed the drink and began bringing it home legally, since it was classified as medicinal in the States. The recipe remains a secret even today, though the ingredients are known to include quinine (the flavouring you know from tonic water), rhubarb, orange peel, ginseng and bitter herbs. Think about this list and you get a bit of a foretaste—that’s a lot of bitter.
But all of those bitter flavours add up to an incredibly sophisticated alcohol that is the perfect accompaniment to a hot summer patio. When you take a sip of Campari, the initial taste is mild citrusy sweetness quickly chased off by drying bitterness. The taste has a way of lifting off your tongue, leaving refreshment behind. In Italy, it is often served in frozen glasses over ice, with a splash of soda water. Others drink it straight on the rocks, a serving you might need to work up to.
If you’re not ready to drink Campari on its own, try it with orange or grapefruit juice, which complement its citrus notes. It makes a great addition to cocktails, where it adds a note of dry sophistication. Try the Negroni or Bicicletta, or try it the way Hemingway enjoyed it when he visited Campari’s bar back in the day—as an Americano (1 1/2 ounces of Campari, 1 1/2 ounces of sweet vermouth over ice, then top with a splash of club soda). Pair any of these with bowls of olives and salty roasted almonds or just a bag of potato chips and you’ve got a perfect afternoon.
However you try Campari, you will enjoy it. If you don’t like it the first time try again. And then try again ...
Just take it slow. It’s summer, after all: what else have you got planned? V
Bicicletta
This cocktail supposedly got its name from the old men who would wobble home on their bikes after a few too many drinks. The white wine softens the Campari’s bitterness a bit and adds smooth roundness to the flavour.
1 1/2 ounces Campari
1 1/2 ounces dry white wine
Soda water (try Pellegrino)
Fill a wine glass half full with ice, then add Campari and wine. Stir, then adjust proportions to taste. Top up glass with soda water.
Negroni
You probably want to be sitting down when you drink this classic: the three-liquor combo packs a punch. Make sure to use a strong-flavoured gin, so it won’t be overpowered by the campari.
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Orange slice
Fill a chilled Old-Fashioned glass halfway with ice. Add Campari, gin and vermouth, then stir. Top with an orange slice. Sip slowly.
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