An iconic new spirit from a classic brand in the aperitif space launched this year in the U.S. Campari Cask Tales is a versatile new liqueur that takes the classic bitter aperitif and finishes it in American bourbon barrels. The oak lends a smoky, creamy characteristic to this normally bitter liqueur.
We got to chat with Julie Reiner, an expert mixologist, bar owner, and cocktail industry maven at the spectacular Campari HQ near Bryant Park, which boasts not one, not two, but four in house bars. While we’d expect nothing less from an institutional brand like Campari, it was still a sight to behold, and all of the design elements tied in directly to the company’s excellent branding and liqueur portfolio.
Campari Cask Tales is a bit of a departure from the classic liqueur, but it’s just as versatile and perhaps (dare I say it?) provides a little more oomph to a mixed drink than a standard Campari cocktail. Additionally, sipping on a Cask Tales version of a Shakerado was one of the most pleasant things I enjoyed all evening. For those of you who don’t know (I certainly didn’t), a Shakerado is simply a few ounces of your drink of choice, shaken and poured into a chic cocktail glass. Rattling stiff ice cubes against a bitter, creamy liqueur like Campari Cask Tales is a perfect choice for a shakerado, allowing for casual sipping of a low ABV drink that can ease you into a long evening of holiday partying,
Another great idea for the season, whether you’re a host or a generous guest, is a giant bowl of punch. If like me, your mind immediately jumps to a 151-spiked bowl of Kool-Aid in a sweaty gymnasium for a high school dance, Julie Reiner’s punch recipe is the furthest thing from that horrifying imagery (and hangover). Reiner elegantly freezes festive fruits and spices in a giant tupperware filled with water as a replacement for traditional cocktail garnishes. This way, the ice melts slowly over time instead of turning a well-measured bowl of alcohol into a watered down, slushy mess, while simultaneously providing a hint of flavor.
An avid Negroni drinker, Reiner touts the benefit of a Negroni being a seasonally agnostic cocktail, and thus equally appropriate for both a backyard barbeque in the summer, or a Christmas Eve party in the depths of winter. While a classic Negroni calls for a 1-1-1 ratio (1 ounce Gin, 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth, and 1 ounce Campari), in a punch bowl situation this can be tweaked to how boozy or bitter you’d like the mix to be. Generally speaking, half a bottle of each should do the trick, but that also depends on the size of your punch bowl. For extra holiday razzle dazzle, top it off with sparkling wine for a festive bubble moment.
If you’ve got a small guest list on your hands and you have the time and energy to make individual or small batches of cocktails, live your best life! This girl’s large Italian family is going to become intimately acquainted with a Negroni-inspired punch bowl at her next family gathering.
