Negroni Recipe: Classic Cocktails

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Sometimes reinventing the wheel is fun. Other times, you just want a classic cocktail. If you ask me, the Negroni is a perfect drink. It’s stiff, bitter, a little bit sweet and a little bit herbal. It’s a gorgeous, party-dress red, and it hails from Italy. What could be better? Find all our cocktails here. Or, if you’re looking for something equally beautiful, equally bitter, and a little more day-drinkable, head straight to the Americano.

What does a Negroni taste like?

Oh, you guys. A Negroni tastes like the perfect strong cocktail. It’s balanced like a ballet dancer on pointe. Good gin contributes bracing strength and herbal notes. Campari is bitter and herbal and a little astringent and in competition for the title of my favorite child. A good sweet vermouth (vermouth rosso) does have sweetness to it, but it also tastes of bark and spice and has a little bit of acidity.

What you’ll need

This is an easy one. A Negroni is:

• One part good gin
• One part Campari
• One part sweet vermouth (vermouth rosso)
• An orange twist or slice, to garnish

How to make it

Here’s all you need to do. You can see all the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post.

• Place plenty of ice into a mixing glass.
• Pour in the gin, vermouth and Campari.
• Stir well until chilled.
• Pour into a single old-fashioned glass, garnish with twist of orange peel or a small slice of orange, and serve.

You can serve it straight up in a cocktail glass, but we prefer the slow melt of a large ice cube in a single old fashioned glass.

You’ll find variations on the theme, but none will be as good as the original. (How’s that for a firm point of view?)

What gin is best for a Negroni? What vermouth is best for a Negroni?

You have kind of a lot of questions, don’t you? I have some personal preferences on this topic, but I also have a good education, so I went researching a bit online to see what others say. What I found exceeded all expectations.

A few years ago on his site Drinks and Drinking, Jason O’Bryan, a San Diego-based bartender and writer, nailed it. (Pun totally intended. Wait for it.) He said,

“I get it, no one looks for the best Negroni because saying ‘best Negroni’ is a little like saying ‘best orgasm’ — yeah, there are shades of difference there, some better than others, but even a terrible one is still better than almost everything else in the world. But. If you could have the best one every time, wouldn’t you?”

Jason O’Bryan, it’s hard to argue with that.

It’s also hard to argue with the meticulous, if limited, taste testing that follows that statement. In the end, O’Bryan prefers Tanqueray gin and Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino, and I can’t argue there, either (though as I said, I’m basically happy with any Negroni in my hand, ahem).

We often have Bombay Sapphire in the house, and recently I’ve been drinking down a bottle of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin that was sent to me as part of a sponsored post for vermouth last year. We also love Carpano Antico for vermouth.

They’re all different. They all work.

Who invented the Negroni?

As with many classic cocktails, the precise origin of the Negroni isn’t known for sure. But here’s the oft-cited rumor:

The Negroni was invented in Florence, Italy, circa 1919, at what was then called Caffè Casoni and now goes by Giacosa Caffè (or Caffè Cavalli, since Roberto Cavalli restored the café in 2002 while opening his clothing boutique next door).

Count Camillo Negroni wanted a stronger version of his favorite Americano, and bartender Forsco Scarselli complied, swapping in gin for the soda water (and an orange twist for the lemon twist).

Is a Negroni a digestif?

Nope, it’s an aperitif, meant to be sipped before dinner to stimulate your appetite. Its balanced, bitter profile does the trick.

Related favorites:

• The Boulevardier
• The Unusual Negroni
• The Americano
• The Aperol Spritz

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Yield: 1

Negroni Recipe

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This classic Italian cocktail is a little bit bitter, a little bit herbal, and a little bit sweet. If you ask us, it's perfect.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ounce gin
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth (rosso)
• 1 ounce Campari
• Orange peel to garnish

Instructions

1. Place plenty of ice into a mixing glass.
2. Pour in the gin, vermouth and Campari.
3. Stir well until chilled.
4. Pour into a single old-fashioned glass, garnish with twist of orange peel or a small slice of orange, and serve.

Notes

Full disclosure: with a Negroni, sometimes we cheat and skip the mixing glass step. In that case we'll just give everything a quick stir in the serving glass. The lack of dilution in this method produces a more bracing drink.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Williams Sonoma King Cube Tray with Lid, Set of 2
• 
  Williams Sonoma Classic Old-Fashioned Glasses, Set of 4
• 
  Bar Spoon with Muddler
• 
  Hatch Mixing Glass

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206

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