Campari and Soda

Campari and Soda is the easiest, most refreshing way to drink Campari! Add club soda for a bubbly, subtly bitter cocktail.

There are so many ways to drink Campari, from sipping it chilled to the ubiquitous Negroni. But our favorite way to drink it? Plain and simple: with bubbles! Campari and Soda is one of the easiest ways to make a Campari cocktail: and it’s one of the more delicious, in our opinion. The bubbles mellow the bitterness of this liqueur, smoothing it so you can appreciate the herbal and sweet notes.

What’s Campari and Soda?

Campari and Soda is a highball cocktail made with Campari and club soda. Adding water to liquor no new concept: some of the most famous are the Gin Rickey from the 1880s and the Whiskey Highball from the early 1900’s.

But Campari and Soda is most similar to the Americano, a classic cocktail invented in the 1860’s. It features club soda, Campari and sweet vermouth and was invented in a bar called Caffe Campari in Milan, Italy: the owner of which was the inventor of Campari himself! The drink was named because of its popularity among American tourists. Campari and Soda simply skips the vermouth! So for this drink you’ll need:

• Campari
• Soda water

Makes a sippable, low calorie drink

Mix the Campari and club soda together and take a sip: you’ll find the water smooths out the liqueur and helps you to enjoy the flavors even more. It’s almost like it stretches out the flavors, so you can taste each individually. This is why mixing bubbles with liquor has been a tradition for centuries.

Another plus for this method of making a cocktail? It’s very low in calories compared to other cocktails! One shot of Campari is 120 calories. So the Campari and Soda drink is only 120 calories, compared to 250 calories or more for a standard cocktail.

Step it up with garnishes

How to take your Campari and Soda to the next level? This drink is bright red and bubbly, and looks very sophisticated in a tall highball glass. A couple ways to make it look even more impressive:

• Clear ice: Make homemade clear ice and cut it into large chunks: it’s the best way to make a great-looking drink!
• Citrus wedge: This drink also looks great with an orange or lemon wedge

More club soda drinks

The concept of watering down alcohol goes back hundreds of years. For example, a Wine Spritzer is wine diluted with water, which started back in the 19th century as a way to make bubbly wine. Here are a few famous cocktails that use soda water or tonic water to water down the alcohol:

• Vodka: Try the Vodka Soda
• Gin: Opt for a Gin Rickey or Gin and Soda
• Whiskey: Try the Whiskey Highball
• Tequila: Go for Ranch Water or Tequila Soda
• Wine: Go for a White Wine Spritzer, Red Wine Spritzer, Rosé Spritzer or White Port and Tonic

When to serve a Campari and soda

Campari and Soda is bubbly and refreshing, and works in any season. It’s great for serving as a:

• Summer drink
• Afternoon drink
• Before dinner drink (aperitif)
• Cocktail hour drink

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