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Campari
One of Italy’s most iconic and best-loved drinks, Campari is a bitter and aromatic liqueur, and an essential ingredient in many popular cocktails. Campari was created in Novara in 1860 by Gaspare Campari, who shortly afterwards introduced his new drink to Bar Zucca in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele (the bar still sometimes claims Campari was invented in their cellar). In 1904, the first production plant was opened in Sesto San Giovanni, where under the direction of Davide Campari — whose name still appears on the bottle — the company began to export the brand, first to the French Riviera and then overseas. Today Campari is distributed in over 190 countries.

Campari is obtained from the infusion of bitter and aromatic herbs, plants and fruit in alcohol and water. Though it certainly contains quinine and other bitter herbs, rhubarb, spices, ginseng, bergamot oil, and orange peel, the exact ingredients are not known, and the precise recipe still remains a closely-guarded secret. It is said the chairman of Gruppo Campari, Luca Garavoglia, is the only person in the world who knows the entire formula for the original family recipe. Campari’s distinctive crimson color comes from cochineal dye, which is derived from the insect Dactylopius coccus, although in some countries this ingredient has been replaced by artificial colorant.

Campari is often mixed with red vermouth to make Negroni and Americano, two of Italy’s most common aperitivi. Never let your bartender put a lemon wedge in your Campari-based cocktail — it should always be garnished only by a slice of orange peel. Campari is also available mixed with soda water as a pre-bottled cocktail called Campari Soda. First issued in 1932, its distinctive label-less glass bottle was designed by the futurist artist Fortunato Depero, and remains unchanged to this day. Many Italians order Campari Soda at the bar or buy it in 10-packs at the supermarket. Sadly, Campari Soda is not available in the US, but if you are interested in the bottle design, check out the lamps above the bar at Enoteca I Trulli!

From Hemingway to Fellini, to Bill Murray in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Campari has made countless appearances in movies, and has long been a favorite of actors (William Holden always made sure his Mount Kenya Safari Club was well stocked), writers, and dolce vita–seeking italophiles. Campari has seen a recent surge in popularity due to its growing presence within mainstream popular culture. Increasingly overt appearances in movies (The Bank Job), music videos (Christina Aguilera's "Candyman", Jennifer Hudson's "Spotlight"), not to mention sexy calendars starring Hollywood's latina pin-ups Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes have reproposed Campari as a high-end luxury product for a new generation.
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