Bicicletta Cocktail

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

This simple and sparkling three-part cocktail will immediately brighten your day.

Today’s cocktail is an Italian classic. I have never been to Italy. I do have friends that go regularly, though I’m not sure if that counts for anything. I did have an Italian uncle named Angelo, but he was from Massachusetts. Actually, there is the possibility that I have been to Italy. My parents took me all over Europe by the time I was two, but unfortunately, my memory doesn’t go back that far, and I’m constantly told I had slept through everything. Hopefully, a pleasant and leisurely trip abroad is in my not-too-distant future. 

The drink we’re looking at today was born in the Italy of the past, around the 1930s. Called the Bicicletta, it’s a mouthwatering mixture of dry white wine and Campari, served over ice and topped with club soda. This crisp, light and delightfully bitter refreshment got its name from all the elderly Italian gentlemen who would wistfully spend their days drinking a few too many Biciclettas in their local café. As a result, they’d get on their bicycles to return home and would weave and swerve all over the place as they pedaled away. 

Interestingly enough, the cocktail ended up becoming so popular that the recipe traveled all the way to France. There it became known as La Bicyclette (though just to confuse things, the French have two cocktails that go by that name, one associated with the Tour de France no less).

If you can’t get out to the beautiful and inviting Italian countryside to relax, know that you can bring those vibes to your own home. All you need is a little imagination, and our recipe for a Bicicletta or two.

What Is The Best Wine To Use In A Bicicletta Cocktail?

You don’t need to spend a lot of money when choosing the white wine you’ll need to make this fizzy cocktail. A decent bottle of pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc will do perfectly. Also, for a more bubbly beverage you can use a dry prosecco in place of the wine. The fruity notes from the wine pair wonderfully with the herbal and bitter complexity of the Campari, lightened and balanced by the club soda.

WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH IS USED?

Fill a tall wine or highball glass with ice to serve your Bicicletta in, garnished with an orange wheel.

WHAT DOES THIS COCKTAIL’S NAME MEAN?

The word bicicletta is Italian for “bicycle”.

Similar Cocktails To The Bicicletta

Most people who order or make drinks with Campari often love the liqueur. But if the Bicicletta was your first foray, and you fell in love, there’s even more to explore. After discovering the refreshing joys of tonight’s drink, you can try out some of these delicious and flavorful recipes that we have right here at Twist & Toast. 

• Americano – Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda make for a refreshingly bitter treat. 
• Negroni – Another Italian classic, comprised of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. 
• Campari Spritz – Champagne and Campari create quite the elegant sipper. 
• Negroni Sbagliato – Campari, sweet vermouth and Prosecco combine to make this bubbly beauty.