(photo: Scordoni awaits grapefruit juice and a quick stir)
I didn’t always like Campari; in fact, I thought the liquor was bitter, fowl, and just unappetizing. I remember ordering a Negroni (made with gin, sweet/red vermouth, Campari, and bitters) at a fancy New York restaurant and thinking this drink is strong, but it’s really not doing much for me on the flavor / experience side of things.
Fast forward a couple of years to present day and I love most Italian amari and/or digestivos. The “loving” part came about slowly and I still prefer to mix a liquor like Campari with other ingredients to create the perfect cocktail. One recent cocktail experiment yielded what I believe is the definitive pre-dinner drink or apéritif; namely, the “Scordoni”
(photo: Scordoni ingredient from left to right: red vermouth, Campari, St. Germain, and unsweetened white grapefruit juice)
Here’s what you’ll need to create the Scordoni:
– 1 tumbler glass filled with 5-6 ice cubes (or about half way up the glass)
– 1 ounce of Campari
– 1 ounce of red vermouth (Martini and Rossi is fine)
– 1 ounce of St. Germaine (a French liquor made from elderflower blossoms)
– 2-3 counces of unsweetened white grapefruit juice
(photo: the ingredients and tumbler glass chilling)
Add the ingredients to your glass and stir well; you can add a twist of lemon, if you’d like. I like to serve the Scordoni as an apéritif (you can whip up a pitcher and serve it before a large dinner party; I guarantee it will stimulate everyone’s appetite!). The cocktail is also very refreshing and especially tasty during the summer months.
(photo: mixed Scordoni)
(photo: mixed Scordoni in tumbler glass)
Nice photos in the post Vince. Looks like a perfect cocktail to have on the boat during the summer months. I’ll have to give it a try!
We are hosting an Italian Feast this saturday and was looking for a pre-dinner drink .. I believe the Scordoni will do it, especially since I can make a batch up vs creating individual servings. Looking forward to it.
Hi Jennie,
I’m honored you’ll be trying the Scordoni for your party. I’ve never made the drink for large groups, so please let me know how it works and if you have photos send them over!
Best,
Vince
Love it!
We like St. Germain and Prosecco with a little Campari–but our favorite is Campari/Gin/Orange Juice 1/1/3 over ice. It’s actually too good!
Chinchin!
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