Garibaldi is a bittersweet cocktail consisting of oranges and Campari. Its origin is unknown. However, Giuseppe Garibaldi was a crucial figure in the liberation of both Italy and Uruguay, the red-orange drink represents the red shirts worn by his followers, the Garibaldini. Campari is from Piedmont in northern Italy and the orange from Sicily in the south, together represent the idea of the country’s unification, the cause that drove Garibaldi in his life and work.

Campari was created by Gaspare Campari in 1860 in Milan. The original recipe remains a tightly-guarded secret but is believed to contain over 60 ingredients, including fruits and herbs. The exact process of making it is also a secret but it’s thought to be alcohol infused with aromatic herbs, plants, roots and fruits such as quinine, rhubarb, ginseng, chinotto and cascarilla bark. The key ingredient is bitter orange peel – which drives the flavour profile.

Citrus fruits arrived in Italy around 850 CE during an Arab invasion. Initially these oranges were bitter and yellow, but the mild, warm climate of Sicily allowed for the development of the sweeter varieties found today.

I’m playing golf and thinking of a lovely refreshing Garibaldi at the 19th and stumble across wild blackberries on the side of the 3rd. We are lucky enough to find them along our hedgerows at this time of year. Some taste like bittersweet Campari and others have the sweetness of orange – perfect match for a Garibaldi sorbet.
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