Tag: club soda

tequila

Campari To-Kill-Ya | A Campari & Tequila Cocktail

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Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

I am so stoked to share this Campari To-Kill-Ya cocktail recipe today. If you’ve been following me for the last month or so, you’re aware of my mission to make myself love Campari. My feelings have gone from despise –> tolerate –> like –> really enjoy –> love. It’s been an experiment to see if one can acquire an acquired taste. I’m happy to report that you can.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

In case you don’t know what Campari is, it’s a super bitter/funky red liqueur. Drinks with Campari usually take on its signature red hue, making them look deceptively sweet. But that’s typically far from the truth. I think this one of the reasons I wanted to like this liqueur. I’m usually not a fan of sweet cocktails so I was intrigued by this alcohol that seemed to be the antithesis of all things sweet & fruity.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet. | Summer cocktails

Trying Campari in a variety of cocktails is what helped me start to notice and appreciate its nuances. It’s been fun to see how it plays with other flavors, like pineapple juice, mint, & lime, and other liquors like gin, rum, and tequila.

The first Campari cocktail I made was a Negroni because it is THE classic Campari cocktail. I really didn’t like it. Then I made a Boulevardier and tolerated it. Not long after, I saw the recipe for a Gin Campari Sour and I really liked it. The simple syrup and egg white really helped smooth over the rough edges of the gin, Campari, & lemon juice. It was fun. Next, I made a [few] Americanos and truly enjoyed them. The cocktail that made me LOVE Campari??? Well, that recipe’s coming soon. Maybe this week, maybe next. It’s a little more complicated and I need to restock one of the ingredients but WOOF.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

Now that I love Campari, I’m on a new mission: try as many Campari recipes at I can. I remembered I had saved a Campari and tequila cocktail on my Instagram a while back. Armed with my newly-enlightened tastebuds, I was ready to try this drink. I would NOT have thought that Campari and tequila could go together, but Julianna McIntosh’s recipe convinced me to give it a shot.

Julianna is the creative genius behind the cocktail recipes at Bringing It Home and she also has an Instagram account, Join Jules. You can find the original post for her recipe here. The photos alone are eye candy and she really seems to have a knack for creating original recipes. She’s also got a recipe for a Mezcal Negroni. Oh my garsh. Smoky mezcal… bitter Campari… bright orange… I think I’m salivating. I’m going to have to try that recipe soon.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

If you love Campari already, I really think you’re going to enjoy this Campari To-Kill-Ya recipe. If you’re on the fence about it, try it out anyway. The bitterness of the Campari really ends up making the orange & lime juice taste grapefruit-y. It’s very enjoyable. Bright, refreshing, and a touch boozy.

Julianna’s original recipe calls for monk fruit simple syrup, which is made the same way regular simple syrup is made, just with monk fruit granulated sugar instead of white sugar. I don’t have monk fruit sugar so I just used regular and the recipe still came out divine.

Campari To-Kill-Ya Cocktail | A Campari and Tequila Cocktail perfect for summer. | Bright, refreshing, and not too sweet.

Ingredients for a Campari To-Kill-Ya

  • 1 1/2 oz tequila
  • 3/4 oz Campari
  • 3/4 oz fresh lime juice (fresh is always best–prove me wrong)
  • 1/2 oz fresh orange juice (ditto above)
  • 1/2 oz monk fruit simple syrup or regular simple syrup
  • 6-10 mint leaves, + more for garnish
  • Sparkling water or club soda (I used club soda and the trace amount of salt really played up the flavors, IMO)

How To Make a Campari To-Kill-Ya

Add tequila, Campari, & mint leaves to a cocktail shaker and muddle until the leaves are bruised. Add ice, lime juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake well. Strain to a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off with the club soda.

tequila

Cero Miedo | A Sweet & Spicy Cocktail

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The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe named after the motto of AEW tag team Lucha Bros. It's made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

I’ve had the idea for this Cero Miedo cocktail for months now. The moment I thought of the idea to create an AEW cocktail series, I knew I wanted to create this drink. In case you didn’t bear witness to my confession in my Orange Cassidy post, I am an unashamed professional wrestling fan.

I *freakin’* love All Elite Wrestling. If you want to know why or how I got into professional wrestling, go check out that Orange Cassidy recipe. A lot has changed in these last several weeks (6? 7??) of COVID quarantine but AEW is STILL putting out LIVE content every week. Granted, they have no live audience which changes the dynamics of the matches, but it’s something I’m able to look forward to every week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are wrestling nights at our house.

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe named after the motto of AEW tag team Lucha Bros. It's made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

Now, about the name of this cocktail. Cero Miedo means “zero fear” in Spanish. This is the motto for the Lucha Bros, a tag team on the AEW roster. This tag team is made up of Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix and they *might* be my favorite tag team. I love Pentagon’s personality in the ring and Fenix is one of the most agile, athletic wrestlers in the league. They make a great tag team. Check out this highlight reel of their match against Private Party. The Lucha Bros are the ones in the masks. Watch for their signature “cero miedo” hand sign at the end of the clip:

Okay, now that I’ve told you about the drink name, it’s time to talk about the drink. I knew that for a drink based on the Lucha Bros, it needed to be spicy and a bit smoky. They are, after all, some of the “bad guys” in the league. And since they’re both from Mexico City, tequila and mezcal seemed a perfect base.

I’m sure you’re all familiar with tequila, but some of you might not know what mezcal is. Mezcal is a liquor that is distilled from any type of agave plant, while tequila is a liquor that’s distilled specifically from blue agave.

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe named after the motto of AEW tag team Lucha Bros. It's made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

Another distinction between mezcal and tequila is the cooking and distillation process. Tequila is usually steamed and mezcal is usually cooked in lava-rock-lined pits with charcoal and wood. Tequila is distilled in copper pots and mezcal is usually distilled in clay pots. As you can imagine, these different methods heavily influence the final products. Mezcal typically has a distinctive smoky, earthy flavor (thanks to those clay pots and earthen pits).

Both tequila and mezcal can be produced and aged differently so even within those categories, there is a lot of room for diversity. I’m no expert when it comes to either, so if you’re intrigued, I encourage you to go learn some more & report back to me.

To summarize, all tequila falls under the mezcal category. But not all mezcal is tequila. It’s kinda like the whiskey/bourbon thing. Bourbon is a type of whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbons. Ya follow?

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe made with tequila, Monte Albar mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, Mi HEB Tienda guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

I’ve found that in my area, mezcal can be hard to come by. Often times, the only mezcal available is the one seen in my pictures. It’s pretty infamous because it has a little dried worm inside. This is NOT the best mezcal brand out there and if you can find a different bottle of mezcal, grab that one. It’s not that this one is bad, but it’s probably not the best showcase of what mezcal has to offer.

Can’t find mezcal? You can definitely sub in extra tequila. Or try using 1 ounce of tequila blanco and 1 ounce of tequila reposado. You’ll miss out on the smokiness but the end result will still be delicious.

And if you’re wondering where to find guava nectar or guava juice, try looking in the international food or drink aisle at your grocery store. I got this can of guava nectar from H-E-B, a Texas grocery store chain. Or you can always turn to the ever-reliable Amazon.

You can find the jalapeño basil simple syrup recipe here.

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe made with tequila, Monte Albar mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, Mi HEB Tienda guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. | A part of Girl and Tonic's AEW cocktail series.

And just in case you’re wondering what type of animal skulls these are, they’re a coyote and a deer. My winding country road sees its fair share of roadkill and anytime something gets hit close to my house, I’m equal parts sad and excited. Sad, because I love animals. But excited because that means I’ll get to look at all the cool bones once nature’s decomposers do their work.

I really love this sweet, spicy, and smoky Cero Miedo cocktail. I hope you do, too! If you take a crack at it, be sure to tag me on social media! (Instagram: girlandtonic_ Twitter: @girlandtonic or on Facebook. )

The Cero Miedo is a spicy, sweet, and smoky cocktail. It's a Girl and Tonic original recipe made with tequila, mezcal, jalapeño basil simple syrup, guava nectar, lime, and chili powder. It's perfect for Cinco de Mayo and summer.

The Ingredients for a Cero Miedo

  • 1 oz tequila blanco
  • 1 oz mezcal
  • 3/4 oz guava nectar
  • 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 oz jalapeño basil simple syrup
  • 2-3 pinches of chili powder (DON’T SKIP THIS! I used Kashmiri chili powder but any will do)
  • splash of club soda
  • optional– a few slices of jalapeño for muddling

How to Make a Cero Miedo

Add all of the ingredients, except the club soda, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, 30-45 seconds. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Leave about an inch of room at the top so you can pour the club soda in. Guava nectar can be a little heavy so having the bubbles of the club soda lightens it a bit. Garnish with another dash of chili powder, a jalapeño slice, and a sprig of basil.

If you want your cocktail extra spicy, add a couple slices of jalapeño to the bottom of a cocktail shaker before anything else. Add the tequila and muddle with a muddler or a long spoon. Then add the remaining ingredients and follow the above instructions.

Americano Cocktail
campari

Americano Cocktail | A Classic Campari Cocktail with 3 Ingredients

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If you’ve tried Campari cocktails in the past and they haven’t been for you, I challenge you to try the Americano cocktail. The Americano is a softer introduction to the bitter taste of Campari. In my most recent Campari cocktail recipe, I mentioned that I was not a fan of Negronis. Shocking, considering I love both gin & bitter stuff. When I first heard of an Americano, I assumed I wouldn’t like it either. After all, two-thirds of the ingredients are the same. The Americano just switches out gin for club soda. I didn’t think it would make much of a difference.

But it does. Since such a large percentage of this cocktail is club soda, i.e. water, it really tempers the strong bitter profile of Campari. The bubbles in the soda also make it more palatable for someone like me. This drink, along with the Gin Campari Sour, is going to help me train my tastebuds to like Campari.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love!

It’s like when I was in high school and I wanted to like coffee. Growing up, my parents didn’t drink coffee so I really had no exposure to it. I remember being excited to finally try some and was sorely disappointed by my first sip. But I was determined to develop a taste for the stuff. I strategically ordered all the java chip frappés at my local coffee shop (shout out to Jitters) until I could eventually tolerate, then appreciate, the taste of coffee.

While we’re talking about coffee and Campari, now’s the perfect time to point out the fact that there are two Americanos in the drink world: the coffee version and the cocktail version. They taste nothing alike, besides the fact that they’re both bitter and not sweet. An Americano coffee is espresso with additional hot water added to dilute the strong flavor. An Americano cocktail is Campari diluted with soda water to tone it down. Ah. I guess that’s a sign that us Americans like our bitter drinks less intense.

Now, if you already love Campari, then you’ll enjoy an Americano. It’s light and refreshing, the perfect pre-dinner cocktail, known as an apéritif (or aperitivo). Traditionally, apéritifs are cocktails enjoyed before dinner to open the palate in preparation for the meal. The word apéritif actually originates from the Latin verb “aperire” which means ‘to open’. They’re typically dry, bitter drinks with low alcohol content. Vermouth, dry white wines, Americanos and Aperol Spritzes are common apéritifs. This fun post goes into more detail about the culture of drinking aperitivos in Italy.

I feel like now is also an important time to quickly note a difference between all the carbonated waters. Here’s a quick show down of all the bubble h20:

  • Club soda is infused with carbon and minerals like salt (my HEB brand has sea salt–fancy)
  • Seltzer usually does not contain any minerals
  • Sparkling mineral water is typically naturally carbonated and has naturally-present minerals
  • Sparkling water is carbonated water and can be flavored and sometimes sweetened
  • Tonic water is carbonated water with minerals and also quinine, a bitter essence derived from the chichona tree & used to treat things like malaria and leg cramps

The first four taste pretty similar and can honestly be used interchangeably in cocktail recipes without much a problem. Tonic water has a very distinct taste and shouldn’t be used in place of another type of sparkling water– unless you know you like the taste of tonic. Just be warned it may not jive with the rest of the drink’s flavors.

If you’ve been looking for a Campari cocktail to win you over, look no further.

The Americano Cocktail is a classic cocktail that's been around for decades. It's bitter, dry, and yet very refreshing, making it the perfect aperitif. The best part about the Americano is that you'll only need 3 ingredients to make it.

The Ingredients for an Americano Cocktail

  • 1 – 1 1/2 oz Campari
  • 1 – 1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
  • club soda

How to Make an Americano Cocktail

Fill a Collins glass or highball glass with ice. Pour in the Campari and vermouth. Fill the rest of the glass with club soda. Stir with a straw or bar spoon. Sip and feel so European.

Americano Cocktail Recipe | Classic Campari Cocktail Recipe with 3 simple ingredients