Sweet Bitters- Campari: A Love Story

By Katie Barreira

Picture it, Italy, 1860. Gaspare Campari comes home from a long day in the fields, feeling downright haggard. Good thing his wife has spent the afternoon steeping her secret recipe of herbs, spices and citrus peel.

Just a glug of the health tonic, sends the worn Gaspare straight to bed and in the morning he awakes, refreshed and fortified by the medicinal brew. Over the milk pails Gaspare extols the virtues of the Campari family restorative and the rest is history…Ok, so everything past Gaspare Campari is my fanciful and entirely concocted, version of Campari’s mysterious inception, but you get the idea!

Given my aversion to cough syrup and other elixirs, I shied away from putting bitter herbs and bark in my cocktail glass. Boy was I mistaken! There is nothing difficult or painful in taking Campari. These days, only a lack of bitters can educe anger and resentment in my household. The bitter spirit is lovable in everything from cocktails to desserts and here’s a Campari-soaked menu to prove it.

The Negroni
The classic Campari aperitif, originally fashioned in Florence, circa 1919.

1 ounce gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Campari

Serve in an old fashioned glass over ice.

with a twist…
finish with a splash of tonic water and a wedge of orange.

The Pom-Pom
If I were a mixologist at one of NYC’s swank speakeasies, I wouldn’t be able to resist putting this cute, but decidedly un-girly cocktail on my menu. The double “pom” comes from the combination of Pama, an addictive pomegranate liqueur and Campari, which is often said to posses a flavor similar to that of pomegranate juice.

1 ounce Pama
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth

Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass.

Campari Soaked Poppers
Make bite-size balls of watermelon using a melon baller; soak balls in Campari for about 1 hour. Wrap balls in Prosciutto and secure with a toothpick.

Cran-Campari Glazed Ribs
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1/3 cup Campari
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 racks baby back ribs
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 can jellied cranberry sauce with 1/2 cup water over medium-high heat. Whisk in Campari and sugar, lower heat and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes.

Season ribs with salt and pepper and place each rack on a sheet of foil large enough to wrap ribs Pour the cranberry glaze over the ribs, reserving 1/4 cup, and seal the foil. Place the wrapped ribs on a baking sheet and bake until tender, 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap, baste with the remaining glaze and finish under the broiler, about 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Clementine-Campari Granita
3 cups clementine juice
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup Campari
2 cups sugar

In a large bowl, combine the juices and Campari; whisk in the sugar until dissolved. Pour the mixture into an 8-inch-square baking dish and freeze, stirring with a fork every 30 minutes, until frozen, about 2 hours. Serve alone with a sprig of mint or with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 6 servings

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