Refreshing chapman with campari cocktail recipe

Are you planning a party and thinking of preparing the most popular Nigerian cocktail to treat your guests with? Do you want to impress your friends with a great drink the next time they visit you? Or maybe you just want to treat yourself with a delicious cocktail? This article on how to make a chapman with campari drink will serve all of those purposes. Using our step by step guide, you’ll learn how to create Nigerian chapman like a pro bartender!

Chapman Origins

Let’s start with a bit of a back-story about the chapman drink. The chapman, most commonly pronounced as shapman, is probably the most famous Nigerian cocktail. You can find it at most parties and various social events. You can also order it in the majority of restaurants and bars that serve similar beverages. Lots of Nigerians admit to chapman being their favorite soft drink.

Interesting fact: Chapman is mostly unknown in other countries. If you happen to be abroad and want to surprise your foreign friends with a treat, this is the recipe we advise you use.

What’s even better about it is that you can create both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of chapman. Thus, both the adults and the kids can dive into the delight of its flavor. Not only does the chapman taste terrific, but it is also accompanied by a nice tropical aroma and can save your life on a hot summer day.

There are several versions of the drink’s origins. One states that it was invented by someone named Shapman, who worked at the Ikoyi club.

Interesting fact: The chapman is also known as the Sangria of West Africa.

Here are the benefits to drinking chapman:

No special training needed
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions
Easy to make in different quantities
Drinkable from various containers (from a beer mug to a punch bowl)
Freedom to experiment with different ingredients, without ruining the drink

Now that we’ve mentioned the advantages let’s talk about what a chapman is made from.

Ingredients for Chapman

Oranges and grenadine slices for chapman

Let’s start by listing all the ingredients necessary for a chapman with campari drink:

One bottle of Fanta (35 cl – 350 ml)
One bottle of Sprite (35 cl – 350 ml)
One to three teaspoons of cocktail bitters (Either Angostura aromatic bitter or Alomo bitters)
One cup of grenadine syrup
One lemon or lime
One cucumber
Ice cubes
One-quarter of a cup of Campari

Optional:

Five spoons of orange juice

You can also swap grenadine syrup with Blackcurrant cordial or syrup. Another alternative is Ribena.

This amount of ingredients should be enough to serve three to four people.

Chapman with Campari

Now let’s talk about the process of making the chapman with campari drink. Before you get started, be sure to have ice cubes prepared in the freezer, so you don’t have to wait for them afterward.

The best way to make a chapman with campari for several people is to use a large jug. Then fill it with grenadine syrup or one alternatives mentioned above. Now it’s time to pour in the two bottles of Fanta and Sprite. Next, you add one of the cocktail bitters. They help to decrease the sweetness of the drink and allow for other tastes to open up, providing a richer experience.

Friendly reminder: If you don’t have any bitters, don’t consume a lot of chapman, as on its own it contains too much sugar.

Pour in the campari in the amount you find most suiting for your taste. Now you have to add the orange juice if you opted for this option and either shake or stir the entire mixture with a spoon. Next, you can pour the drink into glass cups or a beer mug and add the garnishing fruits (lemon, lime) or the cucumber. A lot of people tend to think that a cucumber suits the chapman the best.

Last but not least, add the ice cubes, and your chapman with campari is ready to be served with your favorite snacks!

Top Tips on How to make Chapman

Do you want to find out even more about creating a great chapman with campari? Luckily for you, we have prepared a list of advice that will help you enhance the taste of the drink even further!

As Angostura contains alcohol, we recommend replacing it with lime juice, if you want to serve it to your kids.
A lot of people may want to skip using bitters altogether to have a 100% non-alcoholic cocktail, but we suggest you don’t do that. Angostura bitter gives the chapman the necessary unique taste and the amount you use won't be dangerous at all.
If you want to spice up the original recipe, try substituting Angostura with Orijin Bitters.

Keep the Fanta and Sprite in the fridge before adding them to the drink.
When preparing the ice cubes, consider using Fanta and Sprite here as well. This will help preserve the flavor when the ice melts.
You can also add mint leaves to the chapman. They will add a note of freshness to your drink.

Now you know all the ingredients necessary to create the perfect chapman and campari drink and how to make it in a few easy steps.