Gin Campari Sour | A Bold Campari Cocktail That Actually Tastes Good
Maybe you’re already a fan of Campari cocktails, but I’m new to the Campari train. And honestly, it was not love-at-first-sip like it is for many others. The Gin Campari Sour is the first cocktail I’ve made with Campari that I actually enjoyed. I tolerate a Boulevardier and I detest Negronis. But this Gin Campari Sour… this cocktail could change everything.
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I bought my first bottle of Campari a few weeks ago. I was STOKED to try it. I’d had an Aperol Fizz a few years back at Liberty Food & Wine Exchange when I lived in Reno and loved the bitterness, so I assumed I would love a Negroni. I love me some wonky, unusual flavor profiles. Olives, tonic, extra dry red wine, sauerkraut. Yes, please. I knew Campari was supposed to be bitter and funky and is considered to be an acquired taste, and I felt CON-FI-DENT I’d acquired it at birth.
Oof, I was wrong. I love bitter. I love weird. Why don’t I love Campari? I was disappointed in myself. I kept sipping my Negroni, willing myself to like it and each time found myself hating it more and more. “I don’t like Campari!” I frantically texted some friends. “Why don’t I like it?!” To which they all replied in unison “Yeah, that stuff is gross.”
Okay, maybe that’s not what they said verbatim but that was the general feel. I did feel validated by my friends but I could not confess such a fault to the Instagram world of cocktail bloggers. Campari is the cool trendy liqueur that all the cool trendy kids use in their cool trendy cocktails. I wanna be a cool trendy kid, at least in the cocktail world. So I tried some different drinks utilizing Campari and they were all meh or flat-out yuck.
But the Gin Campari Sour has opened me up to a whole new world–one for filled with the bitter-red liqueur I previously scorned. This… this is my gateway cocktail into Campari.
While Negronis and Gin Campari Sours share 50% of the same ingredients, its the egg white that makes all the difference. I recently used a raw egg white in a cocktail for the first time and experienced the silky-smooth texture it gives. I knew right after seeing the recipe for the Gin Campari Sour on a fellow Instagrammer’s profile that an egg white could be the element I needed. It really mellows out the bitterness of Campari, the dryness of the gin, and the tartness of the lemon juice.
Thanks to COVID-19 and the stay-at-home orders, I’ve only got a bottle of spiced gin– incredible, but probably not the most ideal choice for Campari cocktails. The most recommended gin for Negronis and other Campari cocktails is Tanqueray, but you can check out this article for several gin options that pair well with it. I also only have Angostura bitters so I used those in place of the orange bitters. We do what we gotta do, right?
This cocktail is definitely still bitter, but it’s accessible. If you’ve disliked other Campari cocktails, give this Gin Campari Sour recipe a try.
Ingredients For a Gin Campari Sour
- 1 1/2 oz gin
- 3/4 oz Campari
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1 egg white
- 1-3 dashes of orange bitters
How To Make A Gin Campari Sour
Chill your coupe glass for 30 minutes or more beforehand, if you remember. Or just always keep one in the freezer for such an occassion.
In a cocktail shaker without ice, combine all ingredients. Shake until combined.* Shaking without ice is called a dry shake. Then, add egg white and a lot of ice. Shake vigorously for 30-45 seconds. This is the hardest part about this cocktail but the foam will be worth.it. Strain into your coupe glass. As the drink rests, the foam will rise to the top.
*If you’re using a 3-piece metal cocktail shaker, you might notice that it leaks during a dry shake. This is because without ice to make the metal cold, it won’t contract & form a tight seal. So just be a little careful and shake over your sink OR shake some ice in your cocktail shaker and then dump it out before starting your dry shake.
Need a cocktail shaker? This one is gorgeous and high-quality:
