Campari Bitter Aperitif

Campari Bitter Aperitif is a 750mL bottle of Italy's definitive bitter aperitif, bottled at 24% ABV in the US strength, created by Gaspare Campari in Novara in 1860 and unchanged in recipe ever since. An infusion of herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water — chinotto, a bitter citrus, and cascarilla bark are the inclusions the record supports — it pours a vivid red and delivers the bittersweet intensity behind the Negroni, the Americano and the Boulevardier. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• ABV: 24% (US bottling)
• Size: 750mL
• Style: Italian bitter aperitif (amaro family)
• Recipe: Secret infusion of herbs, aromatic plants and fruit, unchanged since 1860
• Origin: Created in Novara, Italy, 1860; established in Milan
• Key serves: Negroni, Americano, Boulevardier, Garibaldi

The Red Bitter That Built the Aperitivo Hour

Gaspare Campari created his bitter in Novara in 1860 and then established it in Milan, where the Campari name became inseparable from the Italian aperitivo; his son Davide took it worldwide, opening the first production plant at Sesto San Giovanni in 1904. The recipe has never been published — the company confirms only the method, an infusion of herbs, aromatic plants and fruit — and it has never been changed. Even the colour has a history: the original carmine colouring was discontinued in 2006. What has not moved is the drink's role: Campari is the bitter backbone the modern cocktail canon is built around, from the Americano it started in to the Negroni that Florence strengthened with gin around 1919. Stock the rest of the formula from our spirits collection and see the house's other pours on the Campari vendor page.

Tasting Notes

Intensely bitter and bittersweet, led by bitter orange and orange peel with cherry underneath and a clove-and-cinnamon spice warmth — a profile deliberately built to need balancing sweetness, dilution or both in the glass.

How to Enjoy

The classic equal-parts Negroni — Campari, sweet vermouth and gin, stirred over ice with an orange slice — is the serve Campari itself publishes. Lighter: an Americano with soda, or a Garibaldi lengthened with orange juice. More bitter and amaro styles are in our spirits collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is Campari in the US?
The US bottling is 24% ABV (48 proof). Campari's strength varies by market — bottles sold elsewhere range from about 20.5% to 28.5% — so listings quoting 25% or 28.5% describe a different market's bottle.

What is Campari made from?
A secret infusion of herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water, unchanged since 1860. Chinotto (a bitter citrus) and cascarilla bark are the inclusions supported by the record; the full recipe has never been published.

What cocktails is Campari essential for?
The Negroni (equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth and gin), its predecessor the Americano, the whiskey-based Boulevardier, and the Garibaldi with orange juice.

The bitter the Negroni is built on — order Campari online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA, and mix it properly.