8 Best Campari Cocktails (From Gateway Drinks to Full Negroni)
Recipes · 2026-08-09 · 9 min read · by Jake
Campari is the most polarizing bottle in any bar. People either love it or hate it — there's rarely an in-between. That intense bitterness with orange and herbal notes is an acquired taste, but once you acquire it, you'll put Campari in everything.
If you're on the fence, start with drinks that use less Campari or balance it with sweetness. By the time you get to a straight Negroni, you'll be ready.
Negroni
The Campari cocktail. Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Stirred, served over ice, orange peel. It's bitter, complex, and the benchmark for whether you 'get' Campari.
If a full Negroni is too much, try reducing the Campari to 3/4 oz while keeping gin and vermouth at 1 oz each. This softens the bitterness while keeping the character.
Americano
The gateway Campari drink. Equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth, topped with soda water. It's lighter, lower-alcohol, and the soda water tames the bitterness. This is where to start if you're new to Campari.
1.5 oz Campari, 1.5 oz sweet vermouth, top with soda water over ice. Orange slice. It's the drink that the Negroni was born from — Count Negroni asked for gin instead of soda.
Boulevardier
A Negroni with bourbon instead of gin. The bourbon's sweetness and vanilla balance Campari's bitterness in a way that many people find more approachable than the gin version.
1.5 oz bourbon, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz sweet vermouth. Stirred, over ice, orange peel. Warmer and richer than a Negroni — perfect for fall and winter.
Jungle Bird
Campari in a tiki drink — sounds weird, works brilliantly. Dark rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. The tropical sweetness of pineapple tames Campari's bitterness completely.
1.5 oz dark rum, 3/4 oz Campari, 1.5 oz pineapple juice, half an ounce lime juice, half an ounce simple syrup. Shake, strain over ice. This is the drink that converts Campari skeptics.
Garibaldi
Campari and fresh orange juice. That's it. The key is 'fluffy' orange juice — juice oranges and then blend or shake the juice to aerate it. The texture becomes light and frothy, and the sweetness of OJ perfectly balances Campari's bitterness.
1.5 oz Campari, 4 oz fresh orange juice (aerated). Build over ice. This is Italy's brunch drink and it's shockingly good for how simple it is.
Campari & Soda
The Italian aperitivo in its purest form. 2 oz Campari, fill with cold soda water, over ice. Orange slice. It's what Italians drink before dinner — the bitterness stimulates appetite.
This is a good test drink. If you enjoy Campari & Soda, you're ready for Negronis. If you don't, stick with Americanos and Jungle Birds where the bitterness is more balanced.
Old Pal
Equal parts rye whiskey, Campari, and dry vermouth. It's a Boulevardier with dry vermouth instead of sweet — drier, more austere, and more bitter. For serious Campari lovers only.
3/4 oz rye, 3/4 oz Campari, 3/4 oz dry vermouth. Stirred, strained into a coupe. Lemon twist. This is the drink for people who think Negronis aren't bitter enough.