Can I make a Negroni without Campari?

Yes — substitute Aperol for a lighter, sweeter, less bitter drink, or use a different red Italian bitter like Cynar (vegetal) or Luxardo Bitter (closer to Campari). The result is no longer technically a Negroni, but the template still works.

The Negroni's bitterness comes from Campari, an Italian bitter aperitivo built around chinotto orange, gentian root, and other botanicals. Substitutes that work: Aperol (the bottle right next to Campari on the shelf — half the bitterness, much sweeter, drink becomes a Negroni Sbagliato-adjacent thing); Cynar (artichoke-based bitter, makes a deeper, more vegetal drink); Luxardo Bitter Bianco (a clear bitter — drink becomes a White Negroni-style cocktail); or Suze (gentian-forward — popular for White Negronis). None of these will taste identical to the Campari original. If you want bitter-and-red specifically and Campari is missing, Luxardo Bitter Rosso is the closest 1-to-1 substitute. For the canonical orange-red Negroni profile, Campari is the spec, full stop.