Updated: July 9, 2025 by Mariah. Published: December 1, 2022.
The Christmas Campari Sour is a cocktail is a festive play on the traditional Campari Sour for the holidays. Bright, silky, and refreshing, this is a lower alcohol apéritif that will make you want to carol with joy.
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To make this cocktail more fit for the holiday season, I omitted the traditional use of grapefruit juice for lemon juice and a few dashes of Cranberry Bitters. The sharp citrus and bitter cranberry flavors are rounded out beautifully by the rosemary-infused honey syrup and egg white. Campari sour cocktails usually include a splash of gin, so if you’d like to make this beverage slightly more alcoholic, try adding an ounce of London dry gin.
What Makes a Sour Cocktail?
A cocktail can be classified as a sour if it has three main elements: a base liquor, freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (the sour), and a sweetener. Occasionally, a sour will include an egg white to smooth is out or a splash of club soda to lighten the drink. There can be additions to this three-tiered structure, but a cocktail generally has to have all three main elements to be considered a proper sour.
Christmas Campari Sour
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the leaves from one of the rosemary sprigs, water, and honey into a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir occasionally until the mixture begins to simmer then remove from heat.
- Allow to cool then strain into a storage container. When kept refrigerated, the syrup will last several weeks.
- Add the Campari, honey syrup, lemon juice, and egg white to a shaker tin and dry-shake vigorously without ice for 15 seconds.
- Add ice and shake again until the tins feel well chilled.
- Double strain into a cocktail glass.
- Add several dashes of cranberry bitters on top of the cocktail and use a toothpick to create lines.
- Garnish with the fresh rosemary sprig and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
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I strive to paint vivid landscapes with my words, bringing the magic of far-off lands and enchanting aromas to life for my readers. Combine passion for exploration and the art of gastronomy in an unending ode to the senses. When I’m not traversing the globe, I find solace in the earth beneath my fingertips, tending to my garden and working on projects around my verdant oasis. MK Library serves as a beacon, guiding fellow travelers and homebodies alike to embrace sustainability, nurturing both our planet and our souls with purpose. Full Bio.
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