Milan, Italy

Campari Soda

Also known as Campari and Soda, Camparino

A tall, bitter, sparkling drink that's as simple as it gets: Campari lengthened with soda water over ice.

bitteraperitivolow-abvcarbonatedorangeherbaldryrefreshingitalianhighball

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with a sharp, bitter bite and a thin sweetness, backed up by bright orange and root-like notes. As the ice melts, the middle softens a bit, letting the herbal side of the Campari come through. The finish is dry and lingering, with that signature bitter edge hanging on your tongue.

Who will like it

For people who like bitter, low-alcohol drinks and don't mind a drink that pushes back instead of going down easy.

When to drink

This is a classic afternoon or early evening drink, perfect for waking up your palate before a meal.

Ordering tip

If the bitterness is too much, ask the bartender to cut the Campari to 45ml instead of 60ml, or add a quick orange peel squeeze over the top.

Ice: CubedTemp: ColdCost: $2–$4Glass: HighballBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a drink that wears its bitterness on its sleeve. It's sharp, dry, and very refreshing, with just enough sweetness to keep the Campari from tasting like medicine. The soda stretches the liqueur out, making it light and easy to drink over a long conversation. You won't find deep layers here, but you will get a clean, bracing bite that wakes up your mouth.

Finish: The finish runs long and dry, with bitter orange and herbal notes clinging to the back of your tongue long after you set the glass down.

Primary tastes

bittersweetherbal

Secondary

fruityearthy

Aroma

orange peelbitter rootssoda fizz

Bitternessintensely bitter
Campari is one of the bitterest bottles on the bar, and it completely dominates this drink.
Sweetnesslow sweetness
There's a thin, syrupy sweetness from the Campari, but the soda water dries it out fast.
Refreshingvery refreshing
Cold, carbonated, and wet—this is a genuinely thirst-quenching drink.
Complexitystraightforward
It's a two-ingredient drink that tastes exactly like what it is, without hidden layers.

Recipe

Make it at home

Built · Highball · equal parts on Campari. Campari is a bitter liqueur, not a spirit, but it serves as the alcoholic base here.

Before you start

Pull a tall glass from the cabinet and make sure your soda water is cold. Have your orange slice ready before you start pouring.

Ingredients

CampariLiqueur60ml
Soda WaterSodaUse a good, crisp soda water; plain club soda works fine.120ml
Orange SliceGarnishA half-wheel of orange fits right in the glass.1 slice

Garnish: Orange slice

Tools

Jigger · Measuring
To measure the Campari so the drink doesn't end up too strong or too weak.
At home: A shot glass or small measuring cup.
Bar Spoon · Mixing
To gently mix the Campari and soda without knocking all the fizz out.
At home: A long spoon or chopstick.
Highball Glass · Serving
The serving vessel, tall enough to hold the ice, Campari, and soda with room to spare.
At home: Any tall glass tumbler.

Steps

1
Fill a highball glass to the top with ice cubes. You want plenty of ice in there so the drink stays cold and the fizz holds up as you sip.
!Using too little ice makes the drink warm up and go flat halfway down.
2
Pour 60ml of Campari over the ice. It will settle to the bottom of the glass in a bright red layer.
3
Top with about 120ml of cold soda water, pouring it gently down the side of the glass to keep as much fizz as possible. You'll see the red and clear layers start to blend.
!Dumping the soda straight down the middle makes it fizz over the rim and lose its bubbles.
4
Take your bar spoon and give it one or two gentle pulls from the bottom up—just enough to mix the Campari and soda together. You're not stirring hard; you're just bringing the drink together without beating the bubbles out of it.
~5s
!Stirring too fast or too long knocks the carbonation out, leaving it flat.
5
Place an orange slice right into the drink or on the rim. The citrus oil from the orange skin adds a nice scent every time you take a sip.

Serve

Serve it right away while it's still fully carbonated and ice-cold. Don't let it sit on the bar too long or it will lose its bite.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Campari

CampariAperol
Match
Common availability
Campari → Aperol: Makes the drink sweeter, less bitter, and slightly lighter in color.
CampariCappelletti Aperitivo Sfumato
Match
Specialty availability
Campari → Cappelletti Aperitivo Sfumato: Adds smoky, earthy notes from rhubarb root while keeping the bitter edge.
CampariSelect Aperitivo
Match
Specialty availability
Campari → Select Aperitivo: Brings a drier, more herbal bitterness with less sweet orange notes.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Americano

The Americano adds sweet vermouth, giving it more body, sweetness, and complexity.

Match

The Americano drinks a bit heavier and sweeter thanks to the vermouth, while the Campari Soda is leaner, drier, and more sharply bitter.

In common: bitter aperitivo, low ABV, built over ice, carbonated

Ingredients

Both share

Campari, Soda Water

Only in Americano

Sweet Vermouth

The Americano swaps out some of the soda water for sweet vermouth, which adds a spiced, grape-heavy weight that the Campari Soda doesn't have.

Flavor

Shared flavors

bitter Campari backbone, carbonated bite, orange and herbal notes

How Americano differs

sweeter, heavier body, more complex

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Negroni

The Negroni adds gin and sweet vermouth, making it much stronger and served up or on a single cube.

Match

Both share that bitter Campari core, but the Negroni hits you with gin heat and vermouth spice, whereas the Campari Soda is light, cold, and easy to gulp.

In common: bitter-sweet profile, aperitivo style, orange garnish

Ingredients

Both share

Campari

Only in Campari Soda

Soda Water

Only in Negroni

Gin, Sweet Vermouth

The Negroni replaces the soda water with equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, shifting it from a low-ABV thirst quencher to a stiff, spirit-forward sipper.

Flavor

Shared flavors

bitter Campari bite, orange peel aroma, sweet-bitter tension

How Negroni differs

much stronger, heavier mouthfeel, pine and spice notes from gin and vermouth

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Aperol Spritz

The Aperol Spritz uses Prosecco and Aperol, making it fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter.

Match

The Aperol Spritz is a sweeter, fruitier party drink with wine notes, while the Campari Soda is a dry, bracing bitter hit without any fruit juice or wine sweetness.

In common: low ABV, carbonated, bitter-sweet aperitivo, built drink

Ingredients

Both share

Soda Water

Only in Campari Soda

Campari

Only in Aperol Spritz

Aperol, Prosecco

The Aperol Spritz relies on Aperol and sparkling wine for its flavor and fizz, while the Campari Soda uses Campari and plain soda water for a drier, sharper result.

Flavor

Shared flavors

low alcohol, effervescent texture, orange color and citrus notes

How Aperol Spritz differs

sweeter, fruitier, less bitter, wine-forward

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

Campari itself was created in the 1860s, but the Campari Soda specifically refers to the pre-bottled version Davide Campari launched in 1932, making it one of the first ready-to-drink cocktails in a bottle. The simple mixed drink of Campari and soda water predates the bottle, served in Italian cafes as a standard aperitivo.

Creator: Davide Campari
Era: 1920s
Confidence

The recipe is universally agreed upon as Campari and soda water, though the exact ratio varies by personal taste.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Keep your soda water in the fridge so the drink stays cold longer.
Use fresh ice; old freezer ice picks up off-flavors that ruin simple drinks.
Pour the soda down the side of the glass to save the bubbles.
Give it just one or two gentle stirs to mix without flattening it.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't stir it like a cocktail; you'll kill the fizz.
Don't skip the orange garnish; it cuts the bitterness.
Don't use cheap, flat soda water.