The Campari Spritz is your gateway to effortless Italian chic. This vibrant red cocktail is all about balance – bitter and sweet, light and bubbly, with a touch of citrusy sunshine. It’s the perfect drink to sip poolside and pretend you’re lounging on the Amalfi Coast (well, almost).

Bright orange bubbly cocktail in a wine glass with ice and orange slices.

Looking for the perfect Campari spritz recipe?

The Campari Spritz is your gateway to the world of Campari cocktails. It’s bright red, bubbly, and bursting with bittersweet flavor – perfect for anyone who wants a refreshing summer drink with a touch of Italian elegance.

When hot summer days roll around, a spritz is like life support. It’s got that bubbly, bittersweet flavor profile to cool you down without weighing you down. Because let’s be honest, we all love a good Bahama Mama, but sometimes, we want something a little lighter to take the heat off. Plus, a spritz is the perfect pre-dinner drink, opening up your palate so you can enjoy all the deliciousness to come.

What Is a Campari Spritz?

The iconic Spritz cocktail boasts a surprisingly long history, dating back to the mid-19th century in Italy’s Veneto region. During this period, the Veneto belonged to the Austrian Empire following the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Austrian soldiers stationed in the region found the local wines a bit too strong for their usual tipple, which was typically beer. To make the wines more palatable, they began adding a “spritz” (German for “splash”) of water, effectively diluting the higher alcohol content. Over time, this practice evolved, with soda water and even Prosecco or Champagne replacing plain water as the diluting agent. This ingenious solution from resourceful soldiers eventually led to the birth of the beloved iconic Italian aperitivo we know and love today.

A fun twist on a classic spritz cocktail is the Campari Spritz. It’s got that same bitter aperitif taste like the popular aperol spritz but with a more citrusy flair, like a limoncello spritz. Campari is the same Italian aperitif used in a Garibaldi cocktail, but instead, we swap out the orange juice for Champagne for a bubblier twist.

Vibrant orange campari spritz cocktail in a wine glass filled to the rim.

What you’ll love about this recipe:

BITTERSWEET BLISS – Campari lovers will be right at home with the Spritz. The classic Campari brings its signature bold, bittersweet flavor profile to the party, perfectly balanced by the bubbly sweetness of the Champagne and the refreshing fizz of the soda water.
LIGHT and REFRESHING – Sometimes, you crave a summer drink that’s light and won’t weigh you down. The Campari Spritz delivers! The dilution with sparkling wine and soda water keeps the alcohol content moderate, while the citrusy notes and effervescence make it incredibly refreshing.

What You Need to Make a Campari Spritz

Bottle of Campari – The key ingredient in a Campari Spritz. It’s a bright red bittersweet aperitif with a bitter-sweet flavor profile. It’s the base that provides the drink’s signature bold, slightly bitter taste.
Champagne, Prosecco, or Sparkling Wine – This adds lightness and a refreshing fizz to the drink. It helps balance out the bitter flavors of the Campari.
Soda Water –This adds a touch of extra fizz and dilution. It helps to make the drink a little less boozy and stretches the Campari further, making it perfect for a hot summer day. Use high-quality soda water for maximum carbonation.
Orange Slices – The orange adds a citrusy aroma and complements the bittersweet notes of the Campari. A quick squeeze of the orange slice over the drink can also release some additional citrus oils for an extra flavor boost.
Ice Cubes

How to Make a Campari Spritz

Fill a wine glass with ice.
Add the Campari and top with champagne and a splash of soda water.
Add orange slices and serve immediately.

Expert Recipe Tips

Nobody wants a lukewarm Spritz, so make sure your Campari and all your glassware are icy cold before you startmixing. The easiest way to do this? Toss your glasses and a wine bottle (for the Campari) in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
You don’t need to break the bank on the bubbly, but a decent bottle of dry Prosecco, Champagne, or sparkling wine is ideal. Avoid anything too sweet – you want that dryness to balance out the Campari’s bitterness. Some folks online even recommend leftover Champagne (who wouldn’t love a reason to pop open some bubbly?), but any sparkling wine with a drier profile will do the trick.
Feel free to play around with garnishes. Instead of an orange slice, you can opt for a thicker orange wedge for a more citrusy flavor. Or you can opt for a more delicate orange peel for a touch of citrus.
Need a little extra sweetness? Add in some simple syrup.

Side shot of a clear glass where you can see the cocktail, glistening oranges and a bottle of Campari in the background.

How to serve this cocktail

You can serve this refreshing cocktail in a large wine glass before or after dinner if you like. Serving before dinner allows the aperitif to open up your palate, and serving after dinner aids in digestion.

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There’s something undeniably chic about mastering a classic cocktail. The Campari Spritz is a refreshing escape to a sunny Italian piazza in a single glass. It’s the perfect balance of bitter and sweet with a playful fizz that will leave you wanting more. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader!

Prep Time:5

Total Time:5

Equipment

wine glass

Ingredients

2 oz Campari
3 oz Champagne or sparkling wine
1 oz Soda water
Orange slices
Ice

Instructions

Fill a wine glass with ice.
Add the Campari and top with champagne and soda water.
Add orange slices and serve immediately.

Servings: 1

Calories: 193kcal

Recipe FAQs

The Campari Spritz is a mix of bitter and sweet flavors. The Campari adds a bold note, while the sparkling wine and soda water lighten it up and make it refreshing. The orange slice garnish is a nice final touch.

Campari is a fairly popular Italian aperitif, so you should be able to find it at most well-stocked liquor stores. If you’re having trouble locating it, you can always try ordering it online.

The Campari Spritz is a relatively light cocktail, typically containing around 10% alcohol by volume (ABV). This is because the Campari is diluted by the sparkling wine and soda water. Of course, the exact strength can vary depending on how much Campari you use.

Both are refreshing spritzes, but they have distinct personalities. The Campari Spritz is the bolder, more assertive sibling. Its bright red Campari base delivers a bittersweet punch, balanced by the bubbly wine and soda water. The Aperol Spritz,on the other hand, is lighter and sweeter, with a base of Aperol liqueur, which has a lower alcohol content and a more orangey flavor profile.’

Swap the orange slice for an orange wedge, orange peel, or grapefruit wedge.
Add a splash of fresh grapefruit juice for a little more citrusy goodness.

Absolutely! Just double or triple the ingredients depending on the number of people you’re serving. Make it in a pitcher for easy pouring.