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A perfectly made Campari Spritz is even better than its Aperol cousin

Swap out the Aperol for Campari instead

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Campari Sprtiz
istock/Yuliya Taba

If you’re a refreshing, effervescent cocktail fan, you probably enjoy a nice Aperol Spritz occasionally. Created in Venice, Italy, in 1920, this simple before-dinner drink is made simply with Aperol (an Italian bitter liqueur), soda water, and prosecco (Italian sparkling wine). It’s a perfectly bubbly, sweet, and citrusy drink for the waning summer days (and warm fall days ahead).

But perhaps you’d prefer the drink to have a little more bitterness and a little less overall citrus sweetness. Lucky for you, there’s an easy change. Simply swap out the Aperol for the more bittersweet, intense Campari for a more complex, boozier Spritz.

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The difference between Campari and Aperol

Aperol
Gabriella Clare Marino/Unsplash

Both Campari and Aperol are bitter Italian liqueurs, but they are definitely not the same. Off the bat, the colors are completely different. Campari is a vibrant, ruby red while Aperol is orange. Campari is well-known for its bittersweet flavor featuring lightly fruity, herbal, and floral flavors. Aperol is much sweeter with a ton of orange flavor and much less bitterness. The last major difference is the alcohol content. Campari is 24% ABV and Aperol is only 11% ABV.

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The Campari Spritz

Campari
Campari

The Aperol Spritz is known for its balanced, refreshing, effervescent flavor profile. Aperol works in unison with the soda water and sparkling wine. Using Campari as an alternative is a different story altogether. Not only is Campari more than double the amount of alcohol, but it’s also a much more dominant flavor.

You better enjoy the herbal, fruity, bittersweet flavor of Campari if you’re going to use it as a base for your end-of-summer Spritz. The Campari Spritz is still effervescent and thirst-quenching, it’s just a little more bittersweet, boozier, and complex than its Aperol-centric counterpart.

What does it taste like?

Campari Sprtiz
istock/5PH

The use of Campari adds a new element to this iconic cocktail. In essence, there’s much more oomph to this drink than its Aperol counterpart. There’s more alcohol content, it’s much more bittersweet (as opposed to simply citrus sweet), it’s more herbal in flavor (with a gentle citrus and berry sweetness), and has a much more vibrant, enticing color. All in all, it’s bigger in every way than the Aperol Spritz. What’s not to love?

What you need to make the Campari Spritz

  • 3 ounces of Prosecco
  • 2 ounces of Campari
  • Soda Water topper

The Campari Spritz recipe steps

1. Add ice to a wine glass.
2. Pour in the Campari and Prosecco.
3. Top with soda water.
4. Stir gently to combine,
5. Garnish with an orange wheel.

Bottom line

Campari
istock/flavijus

If you’re not on the Campari bandwagon already, the Campari Spritz will bring you on board immediately. Stock up on Campari now so you can enjoy this drink all year long, as well as the classic Negroni, Americano, Boulevardier, and more. You’ll be glad you did.

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Christopher Osburn
Christopher Osburn
Writer
Christopher Osburn is a food and drinks writer located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. He's been writing professional
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