Squid Mixes: Campari Soda

Campari is a deceptive little liqueur.  The bright red fools one into thinking the flavor would be sweet like grenadine.  Instead, it is intensely bitter.  One of the primary ingredients is chinotto, a citrus fruit native to the Mediterranean region.  As with Campari, it looks like a sweet orange but the truth is otherwise.  The liqueur also includes cascarilla, a Caribbean herb employed as a tonic and used in Vermouth.

The bright red color is produced artificially.  Until 2006, carmine, a dye made from crushed insects, was used.  Now, the dye is synthetic.

My wife is a Campari fan.  She especially likes Negronis.  The Campari soda made for a fine summer drink and was awfully pretty.  It looked especially nice in our cobalt blue glasses but alas, that was more difficult to capture photographically.  My recipe comes from The New York Bartender's Guide.