The beginning of the Campari is in the mid-19th century, when Gaspare Campari started serving a bitter, transparent beverage, which he formulated especially for the clientele at his café. Campari prepared the beverage from a mixture of about 60 medicinal herbs, fruits and spices. Today Campari is considered to be the most popular bitter-aperitif (a beverage consumed before the meal) in the world.