When I was ten, my mom and I took a mother-daughter trip to Switzerland. We each had one carry-on suitcase for a ten day trip. This meant we pretty much wore the same thing every day (minus clean underwear and socks) and I still have nightmares about our matching neon windbreaker jogging suits. Weren’t the 90s a riot? Clothing choices aside, it was an amazing trip where we visited some of the prettiest cities in Europe – Lugano, Lucerne, Grindelwald, and Zermatt, to name a few. We also ate a TON of cheese, nutella and muesli. On this trip I was also introduced to Campari. At dinner some nights, my mom would have a Campari on the rocks with a twist at the start of dinner. One meal, she let me try a sip, which upon tasting, I promptly spit it out all over our table. For being such a bright red drink, I was expecting a taste akin to Kool-Aid. I was wrong. Campari (read about it here or here) is VERY bitter. My mom called the drink an “acquired taste” and I was content sticking with milk and Perrier for the rest of the trip. Now, almost two decades after my first experience with Campari, I have “acquired” a taste for it and it’s actually one of my favorite summer drinks. For a more potent pre-dinner apertif, I recommend drinking it exactly as my mom did on our trip – on the rocks in a lowball glass with a twist of lemon or orange. For a more cocktail-type drink, check out the drink I’ve created below. It’s very simple and goes great with appetizers or a meal like this one. Drink outside for maximum refreshment!
Campari Cocktail
Serves 1
Ingredients
2 oz. Campari
1 Can of Club Soda
Splash Fresh Lemon Juice
Lemon Peel, for garnish
Ice
Directions
1. Put ice cubes in a highball glass. (Note: In picture above, we used a lowball glass and one giant ice cube. This made for a more potent cocktail.)
2. Add Campari to glass.
3. Fill glass with club soda and top with a splash of lemon juice. If the cocktail is too bitter, add another splash of lemon juice.
4. Stir then add a piece of lemon peel for garnish. (You can use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife to do this.)
Sweet Southern Comfort 
2 Responses to “Outdoor Dining: Campari Cocktail”