RCR Alkemist Gin and Tonic Glass 53 Cl - 6 Pieces
RCR Alkemist Gin and Tonic Glass 67 Cl - 6 Pieces
RCR Alkemist Cognac / Gin and Tonic Glass 53 Cl Low - 6 Pieces
RCR Invino Gin and Tonic Glass 67 Cl - 6 Pieces
The Campari Spritz recipe
built directly in the glass
Fill a large spritz glass to the brim with ice. The more ice, the more slowly it melts.
Pour the prosecco over the ice first, then add the Campari . Campari is heavier and sinks through the wine, so it mostly mixes itself.
Fill the glass with 3 cl of chilled sparkling water.
Stir briefly once with a bar spoon, from the bottom up. This evens out the color while keeping the prosecco fizzy.
Place a slice of orange between the ice and serve immediately.
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The story
The spritz comes from Veneto, in the nineteenth century, when the region was under Habsburg rule. The story you usually hear is that Austrian soldiers and officials found the local wine too strong. They had a splash of water sprayed into it; in German, that is called spritzen. In the 1920s and 1930s, a bitter aperitif was added to the glass in Venice and Padua. Campari is older. Gaspare Campari made his bitter around 1860 in Novara and later sold it at his café in Milan. The first person to pour Campari into a spritz is not recorded. Today’s proportions, 6 cl of bitter to 9 cl of prosecco with a splash of sparkling water, match the official IBA spritz specification. That one, though, is made with Aperol. On its own website, Campari gives exactly the same measures, with 3 cl of sparkling water.
The right glass
Campari says so itself. A wine glass full of ice. A spritz glass is exactly that: a large, rounded wine glass of about 50 cl, with room for a generous scoop of ice and 18 cl of drink. That also makes it the best Campari glass for this cocktail. The wide bowl holds the aroma of orange peel, and the stem keeps your hand from touching the cold glass. A smaller 35 cl wine glass works too, but it holds less ice and your drink gets watered down faster. Our Campari glasses are grouped together with the spritz glasses.
RCR Timeless Spritz Glass 49 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Alkemist Gin and Tonic Glass 58 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 89,90.
The right tools
For a Campari Spritz, in addition to a glass, you’ll need a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring and large ice cubes. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Large ice cubes melt slowly, so your drink gets less diluted
Glass set (our pick 01) + 3 bar tools together € 150,80.
Variations & twists
Use Aperol instead of Campari and you’ll get the sweeter, orange Aperol Spritz. At 11 percent alcohol, it’s also much lighter. If you’re after more bitterness and fewer bubbles, try the Americano , made with red vermouth and sparkling water. Swap the sparkling water for red vermouth and use equal parts of everything to make a Negroni Sbagliato. In Venice, a green olive on a cocktail pick is often served alongside the orange. Its briny flavor also works well against Campari’s bitterness.
Serving tip
Chill the prosecco and Campari in the fridge beforehand. The colder everything is when it goes into the glass, the less ice melts and the longer the bubbles last. Serve something salty on the side, such as olives, chips or pieces of Parmesan. Salt cuts through the bitterness and brings out the orange in the Campari.
Good to know
The Proportions of a Campari Spritz
Three parts prosecco, two parts Campari and one part sparkling water. In centiliters, that's 9, 6 and 3. Prosecco is the largest part because it keeps the drink light and dry and provides the bubbles. Campari adds the color, bitterness and sweet core beneath it. The sparkling water may seem like a small detail. But it stretches the flavor without adding sugar and makes the drink fresher. Prefer it less bitter? Use 4 cl of Campari and leave the rest as it is. Go above 6 cl and it'll mainly become more bitter and stronger.
Difference Between Campari Spritz and Aperol Spritz
The proportions are the same: bitter, prosecco and sparkling water. The difference is in the bitter. In the Netherlands, Campari is 25 percent alcohol, while Aperol is 11 percent. So a Campari Spritz is stronger, and it tastes different too. Campari is truly bitter, with a sweet core. Aperol is sweeter, with more orange and fewer herbal notes. You can see the difference in the color too: deep red versus orange. If you find the Aperol Spritz too sweet, this is often the one for you. Both brands, by the way, belong to the same group.
Which Prosecco to Choose
Choose a dry prosecco, because Campari is already sweet. Brut on the label is the driest, with no more than 12 grams of sugar per liter. Extra dry sounds drier, but is actually a little sweeter, and dry is sweeter still. Brut makes your Campari Spritz crispest, while extra dry gives it a rounder taste. Choose a spumante for the most fizz, not a frizzante. It's under less pressure and goes flat quickly over ice. There's no need for an expensive bottle. The bitterness of the Campari would mask the subtle notes of a top prosecco anyway.
Campari Spritz for a Group
For a group, don't make a pitcher ahead of time, because the prosecco and sparkling water will go flat. Get everything ready, though. Chilled Campari, prosecco and sparkling water, a bucket of ice and sliced orange. A 75 cl bottle of prosecco makes eight 9 cl servings, and a 70 cl bottle of Campari makes eleven. Fill the glasses with ice, pour in the prosecco and Campari, then top with sparkling water. If you do want to prepare something, just put the chilled Campari and orange slices in a pitcher from our pitchers collection and top up each glass.
Non-Alcoholic Campari Spritz
Without alcohol, replace the Campari with a non-alcoholic bitter aperitif. Crodino is the best-known. It's orange and less bitter, so keep the rest of the drink dry. Instead of prosecco, use non-alcoholic sparkling wine or extra sparkling water with a splash of tonic. The quinine in the tonic brings back the bitter edge you miss without Campari. The method stays the same. Plenty of ice, bubbles first, then the bitter and a slice of orange. Find more ideas in our Non-Alcoholic Spritz.
How much alcohol is in a Campari Spritz
Expect about 2.5 cl of pure alcohol per glass. The 6 cl of Campari at 25 percent provides 1.5 cl, and the 9 cl of prosecco at around 11 percent adds another 1 cl. In 18 cl of drink, that's about 14 percent. As the ice melts, it drops to 11 to 12 percent. That's about 20 grams, or two standard drinks. An Aperol Spritz with the same measurements contains just over one standard drink. Prefer something lighter? Use 4 cl of Campari and 3 cl more sparkling water.
Frequently asked questions
What goes into a Campari Spritz?
6 cl Campari, 9 cl prosecco and 3 cl sparkling water, over plenty of ice in a large glass with a slice of orange. No syrup or juice goes in. The sweetness comes from the Campari itself, and the freshness from the prosecco and sparkling water.
What is the ratio for a Campari Spritz?
Three parts prosecco, two parts Campari and one part sparkling water. In centiliters, 9, 6 and 3, as Campari itself lists on its website. The IBA spritz specification uses the same ratio, only with Aperol instead of Campari.
Is a Campari Spritz more bitter than an Aperol Spritz?
Yes, clearly. Campari has a distinct bitterness from orange peel and herbs. At 25 percent, it also has more than twice as much alcohol as Aperol at 11 percent. An Aperol Spritz is sweeter and milder. If you find it too sweet, try the version with Campari.
What glass do you serve a Campari Spritz in?
In a large wine glass or spritz glass of around 50 cl, filled with ice. According to the brand itself, Campari with ice and bubbles belongs in a wine glass. The spacious bowl holds plenty of ice and 18 cl of drink, and the stem keeps your hand away from the cold glass. Our pick is in the spritz glasses.
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