It’s almost the weekend. You can feel it in the air (DC’s omnipresent haze and crotch rot has returned), you can taste the smog and sweat on the tip of your tongue. This will wash it off nicely.

I don’t feature Campari as often as I’d like because of it’s bitter flavor from cascarilla bark and the divisive use of carmine, a red dye derived from crushed cochineal beetles. Campari’s use of crushed bugs kept Vegans and Kosher-keeping Jews away for quite some time, and the formula changed fairly recently; Campari moved away from beetles and towards artificial dyes and Red 40, which in some circles is just as revolting. Half of people say carmine-free Campari is just as good as the old stuff, the other half says it makes their Negronis taste like cough syrup. To each their own, but I’m learning to love Campari after a long period of avoiding it.

Campari Smash

• 4 lemon wedges
• 1 1/4 oz Campari
• 3/4 oz limoncello

Muddle the lemons in a shaker. Add ice, Campari and limoncello. Shake lightly and serve in a rocks glass. The sweet limoncello ricochets off the bitter Campari and the muddled lemons provide an amazingly sour finish. I sincerely hope 1.) there is a well stocked bar at BYT’s Summer Camp and 2.) they have Campari and limoncello on hand. I will most certainly be a happy camper.

Photos are from Jessica Alba’s Campari Calendar