The Garibaldi recipe
according to the IBA specification
Juice two to three oranges just before you start; this yields well over 12 cl of juice.
Fill a highball glass to the rim with ice cubes.
Pour the Campari over the ice and top up with the orange juice.
Stir briefly once with a bar spoon so the heavier Campari does not remain on the bottom.
Garnish with an orange wedge on the rim.
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The story
The Garibaldi is named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, the nineteenth-century general who played a leading role in the unification of Italy. The drink retells that story: Campari comes from Milan in the north, oranges grow in the south, such as Sicily, and in the glass they become one. The red is also sometimes interpreted as a reference to the redshirts, Garibaldi's volunteers. Who gave the combination its name and when is not recorded; in Italy, it is also simply called Campari orange. The drink had already appeared on the official IBA list and returned in 2024 among the Contemporary Classics. Renewed attention came from New York, where Bar Dante made a version with light, whipped juice well known.
The right glass
Serve a Garibaldi in a long drink glass holding 30 to 40 cl. It contains over 16 cl of drink plus a glass full of ice, so a tumbler is too small. In a tall, narrow glass, the ice cubes sit close together and melt more slowly, so the last sip is not watery. A foam cap made from whipped juice also stays beautifully on top. Choose clear glass so you can see the orange-red color. View our long drink glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Long Drink Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 35,90.
The right tools
For a Garibaldi, besides the glass, you need a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 148,75.
What do you make a Garibaldi with?
For a Garibaldi, you need the right base. A well-known bottle is Campari. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The IBA sticks to 4.5 cl Campari with 12 cl juice, roughly one to three. If you want it more bitter, increase the Campari to 6 cl. Blood orange gives it a deeper color and a tangy edge. Using Aperol instead of Campari makes it sweeter and lighter. Looking for bubbles? Make a Campari Spritz or an Americano with sweet vermouth and soda.
Serving tip
Put the Campari and oranges in the refrigerator an hour beforehand: cold juice makes the ice melt more slowly. Squeeze the juice just before pouring, because after half an hour it already tastes flatter. Serve with olives or salty chips; the bitterness and salt complement each other.
Good to know
Garibaldi recipe: the ingredients at a glance
You only need two ingredients: 4.5 cl Campari and 12 cl freshly squeezed orange juice, plus plenty of ice and an orange wedge for garnish. Campari brings bitterness, red color, and notes of orange peel and herbs. The juice provides sweetness, acidity, and volume, making the bitterness gentler than you might expect. Because there is nothing else in it, you can immediately taste every difference in the juice. Juice from a carton or bottle is pasteurized and lacks fresh acidity, making the drink taste flat and overly sweet.
Fluffy Garibaldi: how to make the juice airy
The best-known modern version comes from Dante bar in New York. There, the juice goes through a high-speed juicer that incorporates plenty of air, giving the drink a thick, soft layer of foam. You can do this at home too. Put the freshly squeezed juice in a blender and run it on the highest setting for 10 to 15 seconds. No blender? Shake the juice for 10 seconds without ice in a sealed shaker. Pour it immediately over the Campari and ice, because the foam settles within a few minutes.
Which oranges work best
Choose juicing oranges, such as Valencia: juicy, sweet and with enough acidity. Navel oranges make delicious juice, but it turns bitter after a short time, so juice them right at the last moment. From January through March, blood oranges from Sicily, such as Tarocco, are available; they give the Garibaldi a deep red color with a raspberry-like note. First roll the fruit firmly across the counter and juice it at room temperature; more juice will come out. A good juicer saves a lot of work, so take a look at our citrus juicers.
Making an Alcohol-Free Garibaldi
For an alcohol-free version, replace the Campari with an alcohol-free red bitter aperitif, such as Martini Vibrante. Keep the same ratio, 4.5 cl to 12 cl juice, and taste: some alcohol-free bitters are sweeter, so you can add a splash of lemon juice. A few drops of Angostura add extra bitterness, but they do contain alcohol. If you prefer something with more layers, the Alcohol-Free Negroni offers the same bitter character in a short glass. Aerating the juice works just as well in the alcohol-free version.
Garibaldi alongside Americano and Negroni
Three Italian Campari drinks, from light to bold. The Garibaldi is the gentlest: juice is its only partner, making it fruity and low in alcohol. The Americano pairs Campari with sweet vermouth and tops it up with soda, resulting in something drier and more herbal, with bubbles. The Negroni replaces the soda with gin and is a short, powerful drink for after work or before a meal. Those getting to know Campari often start with the Garibaldi and then move to the right in this lineup.
Making a Garibaldi for a group
A Garibaldi is well suited to serving a group because it doesn't need to be shaken. Allow 4.5 cl of Campari and 12 cl of juice per person; for eight glasses, that's 36 cl of Campari and almost a liter of juice, squeezed from about twenty oranges. Mix the Campari and juice in a chilled pitcher without ice and pour into the glasses over ice only when serving. This prevents the drink from diluting before it's consumed. For the fluffy version, whip up a portion of juice for every two glasses and pour it in immediately.
Frequently asked questions
What's in a Garibaldi?
A Garibaldi consists of 4.5 cl of Campari and 12 cl of freshly squeezed orange juice, poured over ice in a highball glass. An orange wedge is the garnish. That's all there is to it, which is why fresh juice makes such a difference: juice from a carton makes the drink flat and overly sweet.
How much alcohol is in a Garibaldi?
About 6 percent. The 4.5 cl of Campari at 25 percent contains just over 1.1 cl of pure alcohol, distributed across about 18 cl of drink including meltwater. That amounts to almost one standard drink, about the same as a glass of beer. With 6 cl of Campari, it comes to just over 7 percent.
What is a fluffy Garibaldi?
A fluffy Garibaldi is a Garibaldi made with orange juice whipped full of air. Bar Dante in New York made it famous with a fast juicer. At home, blend the juice for 10 to 15 seconds, or shake it without ice. The result is a thick foamy head and a smooth, almost creamy drink.
Which glass do you serve a Garibaldi in?
In a 30 to 40 cl highball glass, as prescribed by the IBA. It contains over 16 cl of liquid plus a glassful of ice, so a tumbler is too small. The tall glass keeps the ice cubes close together, making them melt slowly, and the foamy head from the aerated juice stays nicely on top.
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