negroni in environment
negroni in environment
negroni against white background

Negroni

Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, Orange

4.45 from 2207 votes

Ingredients

How to make a Negroni

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add all ingredients and stir until cool. Garnish with an orange slice or zest and enjoy.

Story about Negroni

Written by Michael Bergström

Maybe it’s the deep, enchanting ruby color of the drink or the uncanny power of anything red. It’s energetic and warm, but it can also signify danger, being alarmingly daring and alluringly risky.

Either way, sipping a Negroni can make you feel a certain continental sophistication, and perhaps that’s one of the reasons why it has experienced a massive revival in recent years and gained worldwide recognition.

Legend has it that the Negroni was first conceived when a Florentine Count sat down at his favorite café not far from the ancient Piazza della Repubblica. The noble Florentine held court as he usually did during aperitivo hour among his aristocratic acquaintances. On this particular day, he leaned over the bar top and asked his bartender friend to “strengthen” his Americano, a lush Spritz-style drink with vermouth and Campari topped with soda water. The bartender reached for the gin instead of the soda water, and the star we know as Negroni was born. A seemingly small modification, but one that would influence a whole world of modern-day drinkers over a century later.

Is Negroni a strong drink?
It is a beautiful trio of ingredients that in its traditional equal measures creates an amazing balance between strong botanicals, sweet spice and bright bitter notes. But yes it’s quite a strong drink. All three ingredients that make a Negroni are alcohol based which definitely makes it more potent than a drink that contains other non alcoholic ingredients such as juices and other mixers.

What is a Negroni supposed to taste like?
It’s definitely an “adult” or more grown up  cocktail seen from its character. We tend to develop more of a bitter palette the older we get. The Negroni surely is bitter but beautifully balanced with the sweet herbal vermouth and carried on a back bone of botanicals from the gin. You should get gentle bright spices coming through the sweet velvety warm vermouth and on the top notes mouth watering bitter orange. In other words it tastes like pausing time at a caffè protected by an arcade at a sun drenched piazza with a fiery Italian conversation from local regulars cutting through and triggering your taste buds at every sip.

What alcohol is best for Negroni?
For an original Negroni you need Gin, Sweet Red Vermouth and Campari in equal parts. While the ingredient list is quite humble, there are nearly countless options to choose from in terms of Gin, Vermouth and Red Italian Bitters - all with their own unique characteristics. Our suggestion is to experiment! Try making Negronis with different Gins, Red Vermouth and Campari to find the combo you like best!

When should I order a Negroni?
Traditionally, The Negroni is traditionally enjoyed as an Afternoon tipple or aperitivo in Italian Caffès. You can of course enjoy a Negroni at any time, but it’s really delicious as a pre-dinner cocktail or nightcap to round off a long dinner. 

Do bartenders like Negronis?
Yes, most of them at least. The Negroni has slowly become a go-to drink for bartenders when they’re off work, especially craft cocktail bartenders.

What you’ll need:
Tools:
Jigger
Rocks Glass

Ingredients:
Cubed Ice
Gin
Sweet Red Vermouth
Campari
Orange Slice or Orange Twist

Step by Step
• Fill your glass with cubed ice or if you’re fancy dump a big lump of beautiful clear ice into it.
• Add equal measures of all spirits 
• Give it a quick stir 

Rate this drink recipe

Gin Campari Sweet Vermouth Orange
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