Signature Drink | July 2013

Campari MojitoPhoto and recipe via TheKitchn.com

I’m not sure how I got into Campari during the summer I was turning thirty. I just did. Campari is a sleeper liquor. It has a sweet fruity look and a surprisingly bitter taste. I mean the-inside-of-your-cheeks-want-to-touch-if-you-drink-it-straight bitter. It’s sort of weird. Nonetheless, I love it. I drink it with soda in the classic style. But I’m always on the lookout for new ways to enjoy this distinctive drink. It has become a perennial favorite each July. One year I even made Campari gelato under Martha Stewart’s direction in one of her Food or Living magazines. (It was gross. I don’t recommend it.)

Campari is not for every one. It is a drink for persons who love something different, distinctive, and classic. I like to think I ‘m a good match for Campari.

In celebration of my birth month, I wanted to share with you a fun Campari recipe you can serve as a signature dring at your wedding. The rum and lime cut some of the straight bitterness of and is perfect for those who don’t enjoy the strong taste of Campari as I do but are looking for something original and distinctive nonetheless.

Recipe for a Crowd (Serves 8)

  • 3 packed cups mint leaves, plus more to garnish
  • 1 cup lime juice
  • 1 cup white rum
  • 1 1/2 cups Campari
  • Crushed ice
  • 16 lime wedges
  • 3 to 4 cups good tonic water, such as Fevertree or Q Tonic

Place the mint leaves with the lime juice and rum in a pitcher. Muddle with a muddler or a wooden spoon for several minutes, crushing the mint and releasing its aroma. Stir in the Campari and refrigerate overnight or until chilled.

To serve, fill 12-ounce highball glasses with crushed ice and squeeze a lime wedge over top. Pour in enough tonic water to fill the glass a quarter full, then pour in the strained Campari mixture. Garnish with a little more tonic water, the second lime wedge, and mint. Best with a straw!