A lot of bars are putting Campari into cocktails these days, so I figured I should get better acquainted with the stuff. Campari is a liqueur that tastes like like Robitussin mixed with Jaggermeister, but in a good way. It's starts out sticky sweet on the lips and finishes intensely herbal. So, as with some other strong liqueurs and most bitters, it can act as a bridge between sweet and dry parts of a cocktail, or add some depth to a drink.
Case in point: The Negroni. The traditional Negroni recipe is
1 part Gin
1 part Campari
3/4 part Sweet Vermouth
Garnish with burnt orange/orange wedge
You've got dry gin and sweet vermouth, which sound pretty gross alone. (I found two differently-named recipes that call for 1 1/2 ounce gin to 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth on DrinksMixer.com, so I decided to give it a try. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't good. To me, it tastes like gin and grease.)
Anyway, the Campari is the dominant flavor in the Negroni, so it's a lot more present than would be a few splashes of bitters. The other ingredients smooth out Campari's rough edges, while the Campari helps the gin and vermouth work together. It's kind of like a flashy hostage negotiator between the gin and sweet vermouth.
It may be clear at this point that I've had a few already tonight. But here's the lesson: I still need to try other Campari drinks, but I now know that the Negroni is a damn fine cocktail, and that I should have six more of them. See you in rehab.
