"Bitter, sweet, dry and refreshing all at once", a classic negroni is, quite simply, a "perfect cocktail", said Nate Erickson in Esquire.
And while the "carmine-coloured" tipple is a staple on summer drinks menus, in truth, there's "never really a bad time to whip one up". Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, finished with a twist of orange peel, it "couldn't be easier to make".
It's been over a century since Count Camillo Negroni walked into a cafe in Florence and "pleaded for something stronger" than an Americano – a heady mix of Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water favoured by American tourists visiting Italy during Prohibition. The story goes that the bartender swapped the soda for gin, added an orange garnish and "the negroni was born".
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Since then, there have been countless twists on the classic drink. Switching gin for mezcal, for example, adds "pleasant smokiness" to the cocktail, while replacing it with whiskey creates rich, warming notes", said Justin Sullivan in delish.
"Play around" with rye, bourbon, rum and just about any spirit you can think of to make your own "negroni riff", Dante's head bartender Stacey Swenson told Food & Wine. "Just remember the drink's three components: bitter, sweet, and strong."
If you do like gin, remember it needs to be "bold" to compete with the strong flavour of Campari. And make sure you always twist the orange peel over the glass in order to release the oils and create "the most aromatic drinking experience".
Negroni Week is back for its twelfth iteration, taking place from 16 to 22 September 2024. To celebrate, here's a selection of recipes to try at home, from drinks brands and bars around the world.
1. Classic Negroni by Hotel Eden in Rome
For negroni lovers, you can't get much better than ordering the classic cocktail at aperitivo hour from Hotel Eden's Il Giardino bar in the heart of Rome. While we can't give you the panoramic views of the Eternal City from Il Giardino's roof terrace, we can share the recipe.
Ingredients
30ml Campari bitter
30ml Antica Formula Carpano Vermouth
30ml Tanqueray Gin
Orange zest to garnish
Glass
Old Fashioned
Method
Stir in a mixing glass over ice and double strain over fresh ice.
Ideal for gin lovers, this recipe is simple to make and packs a real punch, thanks to the inclusion of Nc'nean Botanical Spirit – an organic barley spirit crafted with a vibrant collection of botanicals and local Scottish plants including juniper, sorrel, bog myrtle, liquorice and grapefruit.
Ingredients
25ml Nc'nean Botanical Spirit
25ml Campari
25ml sweet/red vermouth
Orange wedge to garnish
Glass
Old Fashioned
Method
Fill a rocks glass with cubed ice and add all the ingredients. Stir for 30 seconds, then garnish with orange wedge.
3. Mantuano Negroni by Diplomatico Rum
(Image credit: Diplomatico Rum)
If you love the idea of a negroni but gin isn't your thing, consider swapping the spirit for rum. This twist uses a generous serving of Diplomatico Mantuano rum – a rich Venezuelan rum with notes of dried fruit, wood and vanilla.
Ingredients
30ml Mantuano
20ml Sweet Vermouth
20ml Bitter Italian Aperitif (apricot infused)
Glass
Old Fashioned
Method
Serve over a rock of ice with a grapefruit twist.
4. Choya Extra Years Negroni by Choya
(Image credit: Choya)
This refreshing take on a negroni forgoes gin and vermouth for two unique ingredients: Choya, a delicate fruit liqueur made with ume fruit (often referred to as the "Japanese plum") and a heady brandy distilled from Gascony plums.
Ingredients
25 ml Choya Extra Years
25 ml Campari
25 ml Vieille Prune Louise Roquie (oak aged plum spirit)
Glass
Old Fashioned
Method
Add all ingredients to an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass, stir gently and garnish with an orange slice.
5. Golden Negroni by BAR 45 at 45 Park Lane, London
BAR 45 at 45 Park Lane in London has its own negroni trolley – featuring the hotel's barrel-aged negroni. BAR 45's bartenders have added a number of twists on the classic recipe, including the Golden Negroni here.
Ingredients
30ml of Botanist Gin
15ml of Italicus
15ml of Suze Liqueur
30ml of Martini Ambrato
One lemon peel to garnish
Glass
stemless Burgundy
Method
Pour the Botanist Gin, Italicus, Suze Liqueur and Martini Ambrato into a mixing glass filled up with ice cubes, and stir for eight to ten seconds with a long bar spoon (mixing spoon). Using a cocktail strainer, pour the chilled liquid into a stemless Burgundy glass over a large ice chunk, or a few cubes of ice depending on what you have. Squeeze the lemon peel over the cocktail, twist and let it drop into the glass.
Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin is triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills and handcrafted in the foothills of the Himalayas at one of India's oldest distilleries. With 11 botanicals, seven of which are sourced from the four corners of India, the gin is used as the base for the Jaisalmer negroni.
Ingredients
25ml Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin
25ml sweet Vermouth
25ml Campari
Glass
rocks
Method
Stir all the ingredients over ice in a rocks glass for around 20 seconds, until chilled. Top with ice and garnish with an orange peel twist.
Campari, one of the key ingredients of the negronirecipe, has created a unique coffee-inspired variation of the cocktail. Rich and dark, the deep earthy notes of espresso work excellently with Campari and help to balance the sweet vermouth. Coffee brings a nuttiness and silky texture.
Ingredients
25ml Campari
25ml gin
25ml vermouth rossa
1 shot of espresso
coffee beans to garnish
Glass
rocks
Method
Fill two rocks glasses with ice. In one glass, pour in the spirits and stir gently. In the other, add the espresso, stir to chill then strain and add to the spirit mix. After stirring once more, garnish with coffee beans.
Renais, founded by Alex Watson and his sister Emma Watson, is a modern gin inspired by the people, produce and provenance of Chablis and Burgundy. It is made with a base spirit crafted from grapes salvaged from the winemaking process, with the addition of pressed Grand Cru grapes, local terroir and a selection of natural botanicals. This white negroni is made with Renais Small Batch Gin, aromatised white wine and gently spicy liqueur.
Ingredients
40ml Renais Small Batch Gin
30ml Lillet Rose
10ml Suze gentian liqueur
Method
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass, fill to the brim with large chunks of clear quality ice, stir with the end of a spoon for 20 seconds to chill and dilute. Pour over a large block of ice.
The team at Manett's, the bar at The Flemings Hotel in London, has curated this vibrant cocktail for negroni lovers, with an interesting flavour profile and pop of green colour.
Ingredients
25ml Chase GB Gin
20ml Luxardo Bitter Bianco Liqueur
20ml Midori Liqueur (for the colour)
25ml Dolin de Chambery Dry Vermouth
10ml Drambuie Liqueur
Garnish: lime zest and sprig of thyme
Method
Place a retro fizz serving glass into the freezer to chill half an hour beforehand. Then, put all ingredients into a mixing glass. Stir briskly for 15 seconds. Once mixed, pour into the chilled glass with a large ice cube and garnish with a twist of lime zest and a small sprig of thyme.
If you visit Milan during the annual Salone del Mobile, you'll find the street outside the famous Bar Basso teeming with furniture designers sipping this wonderful aperitivo in the early evening, said Alice Lascelles, author of "Ten Cocktails: The Art of Convivial Drinking". Literally a "bungled negroni", this cocktail was supposedly created when a bartender making a negroni (gin, vermouth and Campari) mistook prosecco for gin. "Lighter, drier and more easy-drinking" than a traditional negroni, it's a "wonderful sundowner". It's also a great party drink, "I often knock it up by the jugful".
Ingredients
25ml Campari
25ml red vermouth
50ml-100ml chilled prosecco
Garnish: orange wheel
Glass
rocks
Method
Build over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with the orange wheel.
11. Cent'anni Negroni by Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan
In celebration of the classic Italian cocktail's 100th anniversary in 2019, Milan's Hotel Principe di Savoia created its own unique twist on the recipe, the Cent'anni Negroni.
Ingredients
20ml Del Professore Red Vermouth
20ml Campari
10ml Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
20ml Fever Tree Ginger beer
1 teaspoon of Amaro Ramazzotti Il Premio
Slice of dried orange to garnish
Glass
Old Fashioned
Method
Stir in a mixing glass filled with ice, and strain into an Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice.
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