Garibaldi
Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 6.3% ABV ∙
The Garibaldi is a two-ingredient IBA highball of a red bitter such as Campari and fresh orange juice, built over ice. Bittersweet and juicy, the red bitter's herbal snap cutting through the pulpy orange body before a clean, faintly bitter finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Build all ingredients in an ice-filled highball glass: Red bitter 45 mlOrange juice 120 ml
- Garnish with an orange wedge
Tips
- Use freshly squeezed orange juice, not carton juice — the foam and body it builds are part of the drink's texture.
- Build over ice in a pre-chilled glass so the bitter and juice stay cold without excess dilution.
- Stir briefly after pouring to blend the layers rather than leaving the bitter to sink unmixed at the bottom.
History
The Garibaldi's IBA listing denotes the standardized recipe and specifications the International Bartenders Association assigns to the drink, placed in the Contemporary Classics category during the organization's 2024 update to its official cocktail roster. This wasn't the drink's first appearance there, either — it had featured on earlier lists in 1986 and 1993 before being dropped for years and finally reinstated in 2024, so this build simply codifies proportions, glassware, and garnish for something with a much longer history behind it.
That history starts as a simple two-ingredient Italian drink of Campari and orange juice, named for Giuseppe Garibaldi, the general and revolutionary who led the 19th-century unification of Italy. The pairing is commonly read as symbolizing that unification, with Campari representing the industrial north, where it was created in Milan, and orange juice standing in for Sicily and the south.
Long a modest, largely forgotten aperitivo back home, the drink was revived internationally starting in 2015, when bartender Naren Young popularized a "fluffy," heavily aerated orange juice version at the bar Dante in New York City — the rendition credited with returning the Garibaldi to wide attention and, ultimately, back onto the official list.
FAQ
What's in a Garibaldi?
A red bitter such as Campari and fresh orange juice, built over ice and garnished with an orange wedge.
How to make a Garibaldi cocktail?
Pre-chill a highball glass, fill it with ice, and pour in the red bitter followed by fresh orange juice. Garnish with an orange wedge. There is no shaking or straining involved; the drink is simply built and served in the same glass.
What does a Garibaldi cocktail taste like?
It is bittersweet rather than purely fruity: the red bitter's herbal, slightly medicinal edge cuts through the sweetness and pulp of fresh orange juice. At about 6.3% ABV it drinks light and session-friendly, with a cleaner, more bitter profile than a typical orange juice cocktail.
What makes a Garibaldi different from a mimosa?
A Garibaldi is built from a red bitter and fresh orange juice over ice, while a mimosa is sparkling wine topped with orange juice. The Garibaldi is lower in fizz and carries a bitter edge instead of a wine base, giving it a heavier, juicier body than a mimosa's light, bubbly character.
