The Negroni Cocktail
The Negroni was birthed at the Caffe Casoni in Florence in 1919. Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano with gin instead of soda water.
The cocktail became an instant success, to which the Negroni family opened a distillery and began selling off bottled ready-to-drink versions of the cocktail.
Orson Welles was apparently a fan, as after trying one in Rome, he endorsed the cocktail saying, “The bitters are excellent for your liver. The gin is bad for you. They balance each other.”
Well, that might be true, but regardless, it’s become a bitter favourite amongst bartenders globally. Though as many will tell you, it’s an acquired taste.
How to Make a Negroni Cocktail
- Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth. Beefeater is a great gin for a great price, and as for sweet vermouth, we recommend either Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino, or Carpano Antica.
- Large ice.
- Oranges for garnish.
Bartending Tips
- While this is traditionally an equal parts cocktail, many bartenders opt to make them spirit forward at 1 ½ ounces of gin and ¾ of Campari and Sweet Vermouth. Try both versions and see what you prefer.
- Large ice is paramount with this cocktail. Molds are easy to come by and allow you to work with big ice at home.
- Don’t forget the orange expression. As this is a bitter cocktail, the fragrant oils of the orange act as a binding ingredient, pulling the bittersweet flavours together.
Variations
The Negroni has countless variations. You have your Negroni Sbagliato, which calls for prosecco in place of gin. White Negronis call for clear vermouth and bitter liqueur. You could make a Mezcal Negroni, or a White Mezcal Negroni.
You could even add a orange juice and egg whites and make a Negroni Sour–which also tastes good with Mezcal. As always is the case, when it comes to variations, the possibilities are only limited by a lack of imagination.
