Bicicletta
Campari and dry white wine over ice, topped with soda. The northern Italian aperitivo named for the wobbly bicycle ride home — lighter than a spritz and more bitter.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a large wine glass with ice.
Add the Campari and the white wine and stir once.
Top with cold soda.
Garnish with an orange slice or a lemon wheel.
A thoughtful finish
- A dry, crisp, unoaked white. An oaky Chardonnay fights the Campari; a Pinot Grigio disappears into it correctly.
- Two to three Campari to wine is the Italian bar ratio; it is bitter. Reduce the Campari to an ounce and a half for a gentler drink.
- A lemon wheel in place of orange is common around Lake Como and makes it sharper.
Common mistakes
- Sweet white wine; the drink is dry by nature.
- Prosecco in place of still wine and soda. That is a Campari Spritz, also good, also different.
- Too little ice; it is a long, cold drink.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Bicicletta and an Aperol Spritz?
Campari for Aperol, and still white wine with soda rather than prosecco. The Bicicletta is drier, more bitter and less fizzy.
Why 'bicicletta'?
Italian for bicycle — for the elderly regulars who drink a few at the bar and weave home on theirs.
Which wine?
A dry Italian white: Pinot Grigio, Soave, Verdicchio, Gavi. Nothing sweet or oaky.
How strong is it?
Around 11% ABV — the strength of the wine, roughly, in a long glass.
Variations
- Americano — Campari, sweet vermouth and soda.
- Aperol Spritz — Aperol, prosecco and soda.
- Campari Soda — Campari and soda.
- Kir — White wine and cassis — the French white-wine aperitif.
Where it comes from
c. 1960s · Northern Italy
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Bicicletta is a bar drink of Lombardy and the Italian lakes — Campari and white wine, lengthened with soda — and its name is a joke about the old men who drink several in the late afternoon and wobble home on their bicycles. It has no inventor and probably no single birthplace; it belongs to the aperitivo culture that produced the Americano and the spritz, and it is the simplest and driest of that family. Outside Italy it was almost unknown until the Negroni and spritz boom of the 2010s sent bartenders looking for the next Campari drink.
Sources
- Gary Regan, The Negroni, 2015 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Bicicletta, 2015 (reference)
- Robert Simonson, Modern Classic Cocktails, 2022 (book)
Strength. About 1.4 US standard drinks at an estimated 10.4% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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