Mix bitter, crimson-red Campari and sweet bourbon and you’ll get the Italian Gentleman cocktail. Campari stars in many aperitif cocktails, including the world-famous Negroni, and its distinctive flavor also makes it very versatile and great for experimentation. So, if you love the idea of a Campari bourbon combo, this cocktail will become your new favorite. Our Italian Gentleman cocktail recipe is fairly easy to prepare, and arguably one of the most stylish aperitifs to serve at dinner parties.
Italian Gentleman Cocktail
PREP TIME 5 min
QUICK TIPS
INSTRUCTIONS
01
Chill a coupe glass with a few ice cubes
02
Half fill a shaker with ice
03
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker( or mason jar) and shake well
04
Discard the ice from the glass and strain the cocktail into the cold coupe
05
Garnish with lemon and enjoy!
What is an Italian Gentleman cocktail?
The Italian Gentleman cocktail is a crossover between a Negroni and a whiskey sour, as it features the key element of Negroni, Campari, but uses bourbon instead of gin. It’s also sweeter thanks to the addition of simple syrup.
Unlike Negroni, the Italian Gentleman drink is a recent creation, born in 2014 when John McCarthy and Carey Jones featured it first in Food & Wine and later in their book Be Your Own Bartender. However, its bold character and classic feeling make it a timeless cocktail.
Many cocktails, in particular Italian cocktails, use a small amount of Campari due to its strong flavor, but the Italian Gentleman features equal parts Campari and bourbon since the vanilla and baked spice notes of the whiskey are strong enough to stand up to a generous pour of the bitter red aperitif liqueur. The citrusy notes of Campari are also enhanced by the addition of fresh lemon juice to the recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you include amaretto in your Italian Gentleman recipe, you will get a Quiet Italian Gentleman, a slightly sweeter variation of this bourbon and Campari drink with an almond aroma.
The Italian Gentleman is a variation of the Negroni, which is one of the most famous Italian cocktails, usually served as an aperitif. Hence, the Italian Gentlemen should be served before dinner. The presence of bourbon also makes it a perfect standalone cocktail to enjoy on a night out.
Campari is an Italian aperitif bitter invented in the 1860s by Gaspare Campari. Its recipe is kept top secret, but what we do know is that it includes up to 70 herbs, flowers and roots infused into high-proof alcohol and sweetened with sugar syrup. Its deep red color is iconic across Italy and beyond.
