Campari Spritz: Bold and Bubbly
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The Campari Spritz is bold and bubbly. Sipping the refreshing cocktail at home is the next best thing to sipping one in Italy.
We recently visited five Italian cities, Bologna, Florence, Orvietto, Rome and Venice, in five different regions. While we ate locally, we drank Campari Spritzes in each of the cities we visited.
Sure, we sipped other Italian cocktails and drank wine during our meals. However, the Campari Spritz is the sparkling cocktail that we kept ordering whether we were chilling by a canal, under a portico or next to a Renaissance statue. In fact, we’re still drinking them at home. Luckily, it’s super easy to craft a Campari Spritz when the craving strikes.
What Is the Campari Spritz?
The Campari Spritz is a sparkling cocktail with a 3:2:1 ratio of prosecco, Campari and fizzy water. The ruby red spritz is an ideal drink to enjoy during Sunday brunches, aperitivo sessions and lazy day hangs.
It’s also a great alternative for those, like us, who don’t love Aperol.
Campari Spritz vs. Aperol Spritz
Although Aperol and Campari are owned by the same company, the two bitter Italian liqueurs aren’t the same. While Aperol’s flavor skews sweet, Campari is comparatively bolder and drier. It’s also more potent with a 25% ABV compared to Aperol’s 11%. Plus, Aperol is orange while Campari is red.
Not surprisingly, the Campari Spritz is bolder, drier and more potent than the Aperol Spritz. It’s also ruby red instead of vivid orange. The only way to decide which spritz you prefer is to taste them both.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to craft a Campari Spritz at home:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How to Craft a Campari Spritz
The first step in this Campari Spritz recipe is to open a chilled prosecco bottle. Do this carefully to avoid an annoying mess or, worse, an eye injury.
Next, fill a wine glass halfway with ice cubes.
Measure the prosecco and Campari. Immediately pour the liquids into the wine glass as you measure them. We use a Japanese jigger for this step to ensure accurate measurements and minimize spillage.
Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.
Gently stir the two liquids with a bar spoon.
Top the glass with chilled sparkling water.
Garnish with an orange wedge or wheel.
Serve the crafted Campari Spritz with snacks like olives or nuts.
Variations
Feel free to get creative with the Campari Spritz recipe unless you want to craft a different cocktail. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Campari Spritz Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces prosecco (chilled)
- 2 ounces Campari
- 1 ounce fizzy water (chilled)
- ice cubes
- 1 orange wedge or wheel (garnish)
Equipment
Instructions
- Fill a wine glass half way with ice cubes.
- Pour prosecco and Campari into the glass.
- Top the glass with fizzy water.
- Gently stir.
- Garnish with an orange wedge or wheel.
Notes
- You can replace the prosecco with another dry sparkling wine like Cava or espumante.
- You can use club soda, soda water or sparkling water in this recipe.
- Serve with aperitivo snacks like olives or nuts.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
A Campari Spritz is an Italian cocktail that’s crafted with Campari, prosecco and fizzy water.
The Campari Spritz was invented in Italy.
Campari, Prosecco, Sparkling Water, Ice Cubes and an Orange Wedge or Wheel (garnish)
The Campari Spritz is stirred, not shaken.
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