For ➋*2 or 3 large blood oranges, juiced, about 6 tbs (8 cl) juice
3 cl Campari
chilled sparkling brut white wine (prosecco, champagne, cava, cremant...)
blood orange peel or blood orange slice*
Pour 3 tbs (4,5 cl) of blood orange juice in a (chilled) champagne flute.
Add 1 tbs (1,5 cl) of Campari.
Top off each drink with sparkling wine (8 cl).
Garnish with a slice of blood orange and enjoy.*
*For larger quantities, mix the fruit juice and Campari (3 to 1) and chill in the refrigerator. Add sparkling wine in the glass.
**Optional.
A sophisticated 21st century twist on the popular 70's mix Campari orange mix. The herbal bitterness of the Campari, the tart sweet sourness of the blood orange and the sparkling bitter of the brut mix together well. Campari orange was mainly an American invention, quickly followed by Western European countries. In Italy, it is still drunk as an aperitivo, with soda water to release the bitter fragrances of quinine, rhubarb, ginseng, orange peels and aromatic herbs. The aperitivo was launched in the 1840's, to counter the bitter sweet cordials from Holland, spreading over Europe. It was mainly drunk as an opener, 'apertitiuvum' in Latin, to speed up the appetite for the coming dinner. Bitters have long been considered to stimulate digesting.
Campari is also used as a main ingredient for the Negroni (equal parts gin, white vermouth, Campari on ice) and James Bond favourite Americano (white vermouth, Campari and a splash of soda on ice) cocktails. It has become fashionable again, due to extensive marketing, including lush limited edition calendars.
Read more on twisted cocktails: fino martini, quick mint cider.
