CerebralDebris

I’ve been toying with Campari lately. It’s an incredibly bitter Italian liqueur which can easily overwhelm a drink if you’re not very careful with it. I’ve found that rum and, especially, bourbon play very well with it though, and consequentially have two new and exciting cocktails for you to try. I’ve searched around the web and haven’t found any duplicates of these recipes, so either they’re original to me, or I’m … just bad at searching. Unsure, but I’ve given them appropriately goofy names anyway because hey, why not?

The Brooklyn Almond

I named this drink because it’s kind of like a Manhattan, but it’s got a unique charm that’s all its own. Like Brooklyn, it’s an eclectic mix of flavors that blend into a whole.

3oz Good Bourbon (I like Woodford Reserve a lot)
1oz Dry Vermouth
.5 oz Amaretto
.25 oz Campari

Like my Manhattans, I like this drink on the rocks … but it’s equally well served if you pour all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice, and strain it into a chilled martini glass (garnish with a brandied cherry or two if you so desire). At first sip, you’re hit by the strength of the bourbon, but then the vermouth smooths things out and transitions nicely to the almond notes from the amaretto. The Campari shows up at the end, giving a slightly bitter, dry finish. I really like this cocktail and make it for myself fairly often.

The Elder Pirate

This is a rum-based drink — thus the ‘pirate’ — but it gains herbal notes from several sources: campari, Lillet Blanc (a french fortified wine), and elderflower cordial, which takes the place of simple syrup. You could use an elderflower liqueur like St. Germain if you wanted to give it just a touch more kick.

3oz Golden Rum (I like 10 Cane)
1oz Lillet Blanc
.5oz Elderflower Cordial
.25 oz Campari

Again, I drink this one on ice, but you could also shake it and serve it in a chilled glass. I’d garnish it with a lime wedge, because rum loves lime. Seriously, it’s basically impossible to screw up a drink with rum and limes in it! But even without the lime wedge, this is a pretty solid cocktail.

If you try either of these drinks out, drop me a line and let me know what you think. Oh, and thanks to Zoom Zoom for the cocktail picture.