Campari Spritz Cocktail Recipe

Whether at brunch, aperitivo hour, or on social media, spritzes are everywhere right now. The Aperol Spritz and the Hugo Spritz may be the most recent pop culture darlings, but the Campari Spritz, a combination of prosecco, sparkling water, and the red bitter liqueur Campari, is a variation on that deserves just as much attention as its sweeter counterparts.

In Italy, the spritz is made using a wide variety of regional aperitivo liqueurs. For example, in Venice and the surrounding region of Veneto, spritzes are made with the locally produced Select Aperitivo. Campari, which is made in Milan, is already widely used in refreshing cocktails like the Americano and the Negroni Sbagliato. It’s common to see locals sipping Campari Spritzes along with those iconic aperitivo at the Camparino bar in the city’s famous Galleria.

Why the Campari Spritz works

The Campari Spritz is built using the same formula that most classic Spritzes employ: three parts prosecco, two parts aperitivo liquor, and one part sparkling water. It’s an easy recipe that delivers consistently delicious and refreshing results, but when swapping bitter liqueurs, it’s important to look at the differences between them and how those nuances affect the drink.

Compared to Aperol, Campari has a much higher ABV — Aperol’s 11% compared to Campari’s 25% — a darker red color, and a much stronger bitter character. For anyone who might find the Aperol Spritz a bit too cloyingly sweet, swapping out the Aperol for Campari makes for a bolder Spritz with a slightly more quinine and citrus-forward profile. The relatively high alcohol content of Campari also plays well with the soft, fruity notes of the prosecco, creating a balanced Spritz with a bit more complexity.