Bitter "Campari": description, composition, history, origin and feedback

Bitter "Campari" - a spirit drink, a small sip of which is enough to forever memorize its spicy bitter taste. In recent years, it has become extremely popular, although it is not used as often as tequila or other liqueurs. So, what is part of the bitter and how to drink it? Let's understand.

Description of the drink

"Campari" - bitter, or liqueur, came to us from the amazing hot Italy. The strength of the drink is 25 degrees. As a basis of the famous bitter Italian tincture used aromatic herbs and fruits. Bitter "Campari" differs from other spirits with a bright bitter taste with a sharp aroma of herbs, spices and orange peel. You can also hear the woody notes and the shade of the vine. Despite the fact that the primary task of the Italian tincture is an aperitif, "Campari" (bitter) is a part of many cocktails.

History of the drink

If you believe the rumors, Gaspar Campari, a native of Italy, was born and raised in a poor family. All his life he tried to make money and did it in many ways. So, one day, during the experiments, the bitter appeared. As a young man, Gaspare worked for a while as an assistant to the master, who mixed alcoholic beverages. It was during this work that he gained experience in such a peculiar art, and the history of the bitter "Campari" began. After some time, the Italian accumulated a small amount of money, which was enough for the opening of a confectionery, and later a cafe called Cafe Campari in the city of Novara. It was in this establishment that in 1860 visitors first tried a ruby-flavored drink with a bitter taste.

Due to specific taste qualities, the demand for alcoholic drinks "Kampari" quickly began to increase. The incomes were so great that the Gaspare family decided to take up the production of alcohol. Due to the prices available to the people for the drink, sales have become effective, and even with growing benefits. Of all the existing assortment of alcohol in Italy in 1867 it was best to sell the bitter "Campari", which was the reason for the founding of the company Gruppo Campari, which produces and sells this tincture. In 1904, the production of the drink was carried out at a plant in the city of Sesto San Giovanni, in the province of Milan.

Soon the bitter "Campari" appeared in the cities of France. Today the main product of the company Gruppo Campari is popular in 200 countries and is among the elite spirits not the last place.

What does a bitter consist of?

For the drink Gaspar Kampari characterized by a strong flavor and pronounced bitter taste. According to the tasters, in the pleasant smell of the bitter, notes of blackberry, moss, grapevines, stones and forest litter are felt. But in the acute taste there is a presence of roots, honey, peel of citrus, quinine, ash and even earth.

In fact, the company does not disclose the recipe for the preparation of the drink. "Campari" (bitter) is produced as a tincture on aromatic herbs and citrus, which is then diluted with sugar syrup and water, after which dyes are added. To establish the exact amount of ingredients that make up the alcoholic beverage, it was not possible. Previously, their number ranges from 40 to 68, including the Myrtle-Bearded Pomeranian, the Gentian Yellow, the Air, the Cascarollus and, probably, the Rhubarb finger.

The bright ruby color of the drink until 2006 was obtained by adding a carmine food dye. Over time, it was replaced with artificial coloring agents. It is believed that the bitter contains a narcotic substance with strong hallucinogenic properties (thujone). However, according to the results of numerous inspections, this fact was not confirmed.

Italy - the birthplace of "Campari" and not only ...

Italians usually eat aperitifs before eating. Most often this is a light white wine. A glass of white and red wine can be eaten while eating, but at the end of the meal, drinks that improve digestion are served: cognac, vermouth-like liquor, or grappa.

There is an opinion that the most popular alcoholic beverage in Italy is the bitter "Campari", the price of which ranges from 9.5 to 12 euros per bottle. No less common in the country is the liqueur "Sambuca", for its preparation use wheat alcohol, sugar, extracts of flowers, tubers, elderberries and various herbs. The average cost per bottle reaches 15 euros. The most popular among Italians is the Sambuca brand Molinari Sambuca Extra. But "Grappa" is the strongest drink in Italy. In terms of alcohol content, it can be compared to vodka. Accordingly, this drink is for an amateur. A half-liter bottle of "Grappa" will cost from 7 to 10 euros.

Rules of Use

How to drink a drink made by Gaspare Campari? In fact, there is nothing supernatural about this. Bitter can be drunk in two ways:

• In a pure and untouched form. In such cases, the alcoholic beverage is served before meals and necessarily in a chilled beaker. If you want, you can add a little ice. Producers, however, like the native inhabitants of Italy, argue that the bitter improves appetite. Drink, served in shots, is drunk with a volley, and in a large glass - with small sips. As an ideal snack for bittera, fresh citrus, plum or grapes are serving. Do not experiment and try "Campari" warm, so you not only will not feel the whole palette of taste, but you will be disappointed by an unpleasant taste tint.
• With juices or soda. Bitter "Campari" in combination with citrus juice and an abundant amount of ice perfectly quenches thirst. But cherry and pomegranate emphasize the exquisite blend. With carbonated water, "Campari" is usually served at summer parties.

Interesting Facts

What else do we not know about "Campari"?

• Firstly, it is an aperitif, which is drunk before eating to improve digestion.
• Secondly, "Campari" is a bitter, because it has a bitter taste, which means that it promotes the secretion of gastric juice.
• Thirdly, Campari can be attributed to the vermouth.
• And finally, initially the drink was stained with carmine. This dye was extracted from the dried bodies of female cochineal. Cochineal worms are used in the manufacture of lipstick, sweets and vermouth.

Customer Reviews

Most people could not appreciate the taste of "Campari" in its pure form. As many buyers note, despite the attracting bright ruby color, the bitter taste still strongly repels. But in combination with fruit juices and ice, the drink turns out to be really magnificent.

Cocktails with bitter "Campari"

There are several win-win options for preparing beverages, obtained by mixing various ingredients:

• Quite a strong cocktail "Negroni", consisting of white vermouth, bitter and gin. This is a drink of real Italian mafiosi.
• Women's cocktail "White Campari", which includes a liqueur Campari and white dry wine.
• In Italy and Greece, resorts often serve thirst quenching "Adriatic". Prepare this cocktail from Campari, vodka, orange juice and lemon liquor.

Today the bitter "Kampari" is one of the most popular drinks. Perhaps this is connected with the advertising campaigns, in which stars of show business, including Jessica Alba, Mila Jovovich, Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek took part .