How to make a good Negroni (and some variations)
The Negroni. It seems simple. It is one of the easiest cocktails to make. Yet, it is also very easy to fuck up. Now that Negroni Week is over, I figured people will want to know how to make them at home. So I have put together a few tips on how make a good Negroni and how to make some twists on the classic.
To get started all you need are three ingredients. Gin, sweet vermouth and Campari.
Gin
Pick a good quality gin. Now you can go classic London dry style like Tanquerey, or Beefeater. Other solid options are Plymouth, Martin Miller’s or Sipsmith. Or pick your favourite local gin. The important thing here is choosing a quality, juniper and citrus forward gin, and avoiding flavoured gin.
I live in Wellington, New Zealand, so I have a raft of local gins that make a great Negroni like Denzien, Roots, Petone Dry, or Southward.
Sweet Vermouth
Again, you want to pick something that’s good quality, but the important thing here it not picking a vermouth that will over-power the other flavours. Those barolos make for great drinks, but in a Negroni can overshadow everything else.
If we are looking at big brands, personally I’d go for Dolin. Carpano and Martini Rosso are probably easier to get hold of, and still make a delicious cocktail. Also, great is Lustau, who use a blend of sherries to make their vermouth. I know a lot of bartenders who will swear by Antica Formula, but for me there’s too much vanilla, and it comes out a bit sweet.
Campari
Lastly, the star of the show, Campari. Now, in my opinion, you can’t have a Negroni without Campari. Sure, there are plenty options out there now with many other companies making bitter aperitif style liqueurs, but nothing compares to the classic orange bittersweet flavour of Campari.
Making the drink (the easy way)
A classic Negroni has equal parts. That is what makes it beautifully simple.
When making this at home, we don’t need fancy equipment like shakers and strainers. We can build it in the glass and it will be just as delicious, while saves on cleaning.
Take a rocks glass full of ice. Add equal measures of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari into your glass. Stir for 20–30 seconds (you can use a spoon or even a finger). The reason we stir over shaking is to control the dilution, which is harder to do when shaking.
Taste. If it is still too strong, stir for a bit longer and taste again. Repeat until you’ve got it to your preferred dilution. Now enjoy.
And that’s it. That’s a Negroni. In a crude, basic, homemade kinda way, but it is still a Negroni. However, we can easily elevate the flavours and presentation.
Garnish
A good garnish can truly lift a drink, highlight the flavours and make it more appealing. Here’s three simple garnishes for your next Negroni.
Orange wedge. The simplest of the garnish. Take a navel orange, cut out a decent sized wedge, I tend to cut mine into eighths, then pop that wedge on top of your drink.
Orange zest. Using a naval orange again, take a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer, and take the peel the zest off the orange. Then you want to squeeze the zest over the drink. This will cause the oils to pop out and smoother your drink in a beautiful zesty aroma. Then put your peeled zest in the Negroni for aesthetics. (Also, keep the peeled orange to juice, eat as a snack later, or dehydrate for garnish three)
Dehydrated Orange wheel. This is more time consuming, but looks pretty. Take a naval orange, and slice into thin wheels, and place onto some baking paper. Place the wheels into a food dehydrator, or a fan oven, at around 65 degrees Celsius, for 6–8 hours, sometimes longer depending on how thick your wheels are. This is a low enough heat to not cook the orange wheels, but instead draw out the moisture, and results in a dehydrated orange wheel that looks pretty and never goes off (as long as you have drawn out all the moisture).
Ice
Another great way to elevate your Negroni is using good quality ice. You may have been to a bar that serves your cocktails over a big hand carved piece of ice and there is a reason for that beyond aesthetics. It also allows the drink to stay cold with minimal dilution. With less surface area touching the liquid, it deliutes slower compared to cubed ice, allowing you to take your time over your cocktail and not be left with a watery mess after 10 minutes.
How to achieve this at home is fairly straightforward. Fill a tuppaware with water and place in the freezer. Being extremely careful, carve the ice block with a sharp knife. You can break it up into easier to manage chunks first using an ice pick, then use a sharp knife to tidy them up and fit neatly into your glassware.
If this sounds a little daunting, that’s fine. You can buy ice block moulds. Like a normal ice cube tray, but bigger. Fill these up with water, freeze, and you are good to go.
Variations
The simplest variations on the Negroni are substitutions. We can switch out one of the ingredients for another.
Swap gin for…
Bourbon. You probably know this is a Boulevardier. Which despite just being a simple swap of gin for whiskey, is traditionally heavy on the bourbon and is served straight up in a coupette. But, you do you.
Rum. This is called a Kingston. Sticking to the equal measures formula and using an overproof pot still rum like Smith & Cross. You can use your favourite rum to swap out the gin and enjoy this sweeter, richer version of the Negroni. Or we can up the rum slightly, add some chocolate bitters, and we have a Right Hand cocktail.
Tequila. Also known as a Rosita. It switches out the gin for a heavier measure of reposado tequila, dropping the Campari slightly and half the sweet vermouth for dry vermouth.
Mezcal. For a smoky riff on the Negroni, switch out the gin for your favourite mezcal. Instant winner in my eyes.
Prosecco. Called the Sbagliato, which translates as mistake, after the bartender who created it accidentally poured Prosecco into a Negroni instead of gin. This is one of my favourite versions of the Negroni. Switch out the gin for a healthy pour of Prosecco. Delicious.
Soda. Is the Negroni too boozy for you? Switch it out for a topping up of soda, and you’ve got an Americano. Traditionally served tall. Light and refreshing.
Swap the sweet vermouth for…
Dry vermouth. If the Negroni is too sweet for you, then simply swap out the sweet vermouth for dry. Or do a mix of both like the Rosita, see above.
Aperitif wine. Lillet makes for a great substitute for sweet vermouth. Still sweet, but aromatic and light. Makes up one of the main ingredients in a White Negroni. Cocchi Americano is also a fantastic choice.
Sherry. My personal choice is Amontillado when switching out the vermouth for sherry, but you can use Pedro Ximenez for a sweeter and richer version, or Fino for something dryer. Try it a few ways, until you find your favourite sherry to use.
Fortified wine. I have found that using other fortified wines can make for a delicious variation. A great place to start is with Banyuls, a red fortified wine which is sweet enough to balance with the Campari, but light enough not to overpower it.
Tonic wine. Yes. Buckfast. It may have an infamous reputation across Scotland and Ireland, but it makes for a delicious Negroni. Trust me.
Switch out the Campari for…
Aperol. For a lighter, less bitter, but still citrusy Negroni. Replace the Campari with Aperol.
Suze. This gentian liqueur has been around for decades. It has a bittersweetness that rivals Campari, but is seriously dryer. It adds an aromatic element that replaces the citrus driven flavours of a classic Negroni.
Amaro. Another of my favourite ways to switch up a Negroni. Can still be citrus forward is we choose Montenegro, Amaro Nonino or Picon. Or we can head down a savoury route with Cynar, Averna, or Fernet Branca.
White Negroni
Even better than switching out one ingredient, switch out two.
In this “white” version of the Negroni (it’s more of a luminous yellow), we use equal measures of gin, gentian liqueur (Suze) and aperitif wine (Lillet Blanc, or Cocchi Americano).
Personally, I like to tone down the gentian liqueur slightly and use a splash of dry curaçao to bring back some citrus into the drink.
To make a clear Negroni still using Campari you could clarify the Campari, or the whole cocktail by turning it into a milk punch. But I’ll let you google that one, as it’s going to a bit longer to explain.
Nogroni
With the alcohol free cocktail trend growing and more people going sober, nogronis are a great option for people to still enjoy a Negroni without the hangover. You can find non-alcoholic versions gins, vermouth and Campari in most specialist bottle shops. Sticking to the same ratios as a regular Negroni is a good start, but consider adding some orange bitters to boost the flavour and depth to the cocktail, without making it alocholic.
Upper Hand
A delicious concoction put together by Alex Vowles of Hawthorn Lounge in Wellington. Cognac, sweet vermouth, Campari, and chocolate bitters. Served up and topped with Champagne. If you’re feeling boujee, this is the one.
For this recipe, and many more orginals from around Aotearoa and Australia, you can check our the Campari Negroni Recipe Book.
Now go make a Negroni
While there’s no set rules on how you can make a Negroni. My advice would be start with equal measures before tweaking the ratios to your taste. Make it with good quality ingredients. And when you’re ready, make some simple variations. But please don’t use vodka, it’s boring and you deserve better.
Sláinte
