Garibaldi

This classic Italian cocktail couldn’t be simpler. It combines just two ingredients: Campari and orange juice. Some early versions of the cocktail call for a one-to-one ratio, but upping the juice creates a more balanced drink. It’s a winning flavor profile that Naren Young of award-winning bar Dante in New York City has distilled down to a science.

Thanks to Young’s time at Dante, this relatively obscure classic has made a major comeback in New York’s drinks scene since Dante’s 2015 opening. Like many cocktails that have withstood the test of time, the Garibaldi comes with a story—even if the origins of the drink itself are unknown. Named for Giuseppe Garibaldi, a crucial figure in the liberation of both Italy and Uruguay, the red-orange drink represents the red shirts worn by Garibaldi’s followers, or the Garibaldini. Campari, which hails from Piedmont in northern Italy, along with the orange juice and wedge (both nods to Sicily in the south), together represent the idea of the country’s unification, the cause that drove Garibaldi in his life and work.

Though made with only those two ingredients, there is a secret to perfecting the Garibaldi. It lies in the technique used to add texture to the juice. The OJ should be freshly squeezed and “fluffy,” or aerated, either using a Breville (or similar) juicer that spins at such a high speed that it aerates the juice, as they do at Dante, or with a handheld frother or by blending it at high speed without ice. The frothy texture helps soften the Campari’s signature bitterness.

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