Oh, the Negroni. What a handsome devil of a classic. The vivacity of a botanical-forward gin, mingled with sweet vermouth, and finished with the puckering kiss of bitter Campari.
This is the cocktail you order for its prominence and for true craft indulgence. This is the aperitif you mix when your evening deserves more than a casual beer or glass of wine. This is the drink you order at your favorite bar begging for good conversation. This is the cocktail recipe to hold in your back pocket, for the moment your liquid eloquence and skill is needed.
While appearing deceptively simple, creating this cocktail takes careful intention in the process to be consumed at its prime. While bartenders have long altered the measurements to better fit their palates, it’s important to keep the flavors in balance. Even more so, your approach to how you build and mix this cocktail is the true test of bartender greatness.
A clear way to impress and a wonderful pleasure to sip, let’s break down this classic and how you can create it:
The anatomy of the negroni is simple: gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. Bartender’s choice for the gin and sweet vermouth, but keep in mind that with so few ingredients, the quality and flavor profile of each component will stand strong in the finished cocktail.
Gin is arguably the most versatile of the trio, and sticking to your go-to tends to work just fine. To compliment Campari’s zesty bark, I prefer London Dry gins, as they tend to be more citrus-driven.
Some bartenders argue for a light vermouth, such as a Martini & Rossi, while others believe bolder vermouths, such as Carpano Antica Formula, hit the nose with a simple altering of measurements.
And Campari. The one component begging not to be substituted with another Italian bitter aperitif. The negroni is where Campari shines at its most. Leave it be.
Here’s the deal to crafting a really good negroni: measure the ingredients. Leave your counting pride to the side and just use your jigger. We’re talking about three spirits here, one overpour changes the result immensely. With that being said, feel free to work the measurements to your preference. Some use more gin, while others favor Campari’s dominance. However, the classic approach is equal parts, 1:1:1. Start there and see how you feel about it.
The Negroni
Ingredients
Instructions
To build, simply combine your measured spirits in a mixing glass with ice.
As a rule of thumb, cocktails composed of spirits are to be stirred rather than shaken. This is where you make or break your negroni so keep mind of this step. To let those spirits really marry, stir for 30-60 seconds. We’re looking for proper dilution, blending, and chilling here so take your time.
To finish off your beauty, carve a thick cut of orange peel, bend over your cocktail with the pith upwards, and watch that bright, citrus zest mist your negroni. Finish by running the peel over the rim of your glass and drop into your cocktail.
And then, sip it. Find the parts you love about it and note the parts that don’t quite fit your palette and play with those to perfect your Negroni. But most of all, enjoy it and happy sipping!