How to Make Campari Spritz Cocktails: Recipe, Ingredients & Ratios

Campari cocktails, those bold and slightly bitter drinks, are quickly spotted across the bar because of their vibrant, bright red hues. These drinks are tried and true staples of the Italian drinking culture, a well-loved apertivo. 

From its iconic color (as brilliantly as the liqueur appears in the Classic Negroni) to its refreshing bubbles and balance, the campari spritz brings the best of the simple, complex, and signature. 

The perfect campari cocktail may seem like a mild, ordinary talent to master. But, in fact, the simplicity and delicate effervescence of the drink can quickly complicate a round of drink orders—if any one of them falls flat. 

You’ll find every detail and method you need to execute an exquisite campari spritzer at your bar or restaurant below.

Key Takeaways: Like the Hugo spritz or Aperol variety, this aperitif cocktail is tightly wound by tradition, establishing clear expectations around which ingredients, alternatives, and recipe needs are expected. 1. The 3-2-1 ratio (Prosecco-Campari-soda) ensures a consistent, balanced cocktail with bitter depth and effervescence, ideal for quick service.
2. Premium presentation (balloon glasses, citrus garnishes) elevates perceived value, allowing bars to charge more for simple ingredients.
3. Batch preparation and chilled ingredients streamline group orders while preserving the drink’s signature crispness and carbonation.

What is the Campari Spritz Cocktail?

Bright, ruby red and refreshing by design, the campari spritz uses the bold bitterness (and its signature color) to kick off meal experiences with an herbal, citrusy aperitif. 

Campari is known for its inclusion in the Negroni—a classic red itself—and, more often outside the US, its spritz as well. This cocktail has clear appeal for drinkers worldwide who are looking for low calorie, lower-ABV, and unique drink flavors than ever before. 

This customer's concern with health, their interest in “vintage cocktails,” and the unique cocktail profile of Campari make this cocktail spritz a perfect fit for cocktail trends. See how to balance its bitterness, slight sweetness, and bubbly but dry mouthfeel below.

How to Make Perfect Campari Spritz Cocktails

The essential ingredients of the campari spritz mirrors the usual, traditional elements of spritz cocktails. 

• Campari: Essential for the drink, with no alternative, this liqueur gives the cocktail its characteristically brilliant color and its classic bitter-citrus taste.
• Sparkling Wine: Typically prosecco or a dry sake cocktail variation, most bars go with dry and lightly sweet options to maintain the balance and distinction of the drink.
• Soda Water: Bartenders add soda water to give the drink more bubbles and interesting depth, sometimes, by replacing spout-based soda water with mineral options like Pelligrino.
• Garnish: Optional but appreciated, the campari spritz benefits from the added color and crispness of a slice of orange as well as the sweet bite of grapefruit, but strawberries can work as well. 

Over ice, pour prosecco into the glass (3 parts) slowly to preserve bubbles. Then, follow this pour with a delicate addition of campari, letting its color and weight work its way into the ice. Finally, stir soda water gently and quickly into the drink before popping on the garnish—and serve. 

Timing is important with this cocktail. No one appreciates the flavors of campari or Aperol so well when the beautiful spritz falls flat from the glass.

Streamlining Cocktail, Spritz, and Beverage Management

Cocktails like the Negroni and campari spritz can quickly add up—complicating even the most talented bartenders and managers with countless ingredients, combinations, sources, and orders. BinWise helps to streamline all these bar inventory management concerns. 

Using the campari spritz as a basic example, the drink only requires three or four ingredients, if you count the optional cocktail garnish. However, these are taken in a precise ratio (3 to 2 to 1) of prosecco, campari, and soda water. 

This means beverage management or barhands must carefully track the use of each ingredient in proportion when analyzing the impact of high volume before they reach stockout levels and are forced to halt service. For such ingredients (like wines, spirits, and liqueurs of all kinds), BinWise makes these insights and responsibilities automatic:

• Reorder stock by triggered automation
• Track real-time inventory pouring and sales 
• Predict peak hours and optimize offers

With the ability to integrate with your current POS, BinWise makes the transition from tiresome complexity to simple automation as seamless as possible. Maintain profitability while offering the perfect Italian apertivo by exploring BinWise with a custom demo.

Frequently Asked Questions about Campari Spritz Cocktails

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Review the most common questions asked about the campari spritz cocktail. Bartenders and managers want to know how to adapt the drink and present it in its best light. Get the answers from BinWise here.

Can I replace Aperol with Campari in a spritz?

Yes, but the result is a Negroni Spritz—a bolder, more bitter drink. Campari’s higher ABV (24% vs. 11%) and herbal complexity appeal to adventurous drinkers. 

This profile may not satisfy Aperol fans very well who will see how it contrasts starkly with that sweet-natured demeanor..

What’s the best Prosecco for a Campari Spritz?

Choose Brut Prosecco like Mionetto or La Marca—because their dryness balances Campari’s bitterness as a liqueur. 

Most bars and restaurants choose to avoid sweet Prosecco styles, even in wine cocktails like this, since they tend to clash with Campari liqueur’s herbal profile.

How does a Campari Spritz differ from an Aperol Spritz in taste?

Not exactly—Campari adds sharp bitterness and earthy undertones, whereas Aperol is sweeter and fruitier. 

The Campari version suits palates favoring bold, complex aperitifs. On the other hand, the Aperol spritz is a respected alternative choice in Northern Italy and a popular cocktail worldwide. (Making this colorful and bitter creation into a mocktail can still be a bit tricky.)

Can I use regular soda water instead of premium brands?

Yes, but mineral-rich options like San Pellegrino can further enhance effervescence and mouthfeel that comes from the most thoughtful ingredients. 

For budget bars, soda guns work, but they may inadvertently water down or dilute the drink’s artisanal appeal. Making it seem somehow less interesting or unique as a first-time taste experience.

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