Product of: Italy

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Gaspare Campari created this bittersweet red aperitif, flavoured with 68 herbs and spices, between 1860 and 1867 in the cellars of his Caffè Campari coffee shop in Milan. The new drink became locally famous when he moved his business to the newly built Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in September 1867.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 03/06/2024

Appearance:

Clear, bright crimson red.

Aroma:

Blood orange peel, orange sherbet, ruby red grapefruit zest, quinine, bay leaf, cherry, lemon thyme and herbal woodiness. Peppery spirit tingle.

Taste:

Herbaceous quinine bitterness balanced with lightly syrupy sweetness flavoured with blood orange zest, mint, cherry and honey.

Aftertaste:

Long lingering quinine, zesty orange and orange pith bitterness. Fades with quinine, orange zest and clove.

Overall:

Bittersweet with sweetness offset by bitter quinine, zesty orange, orange sherbet, orange pith bitterness and tart grapefruit. Those may not sound like deliciously appealing tasting notes, but in its own bitter and orange-twisted way, Campari is delicious - certainly for those of us who have acquired a taste for it.