How to make the perfect Negroni

With rocketing popularity of the iconic Italian spirit Campari plus gin revolution that has been occurring over the passed few years, the Negroni is now seen on most London cocktail bars. Bitter but sweet, simple yet complex and still so refreshing – it’s no wonder this historic drink has experienced a revival.

To stir one up at home, follow our recipe below for the perfect Negroni.

A brief history of the Negroni

The Negroni is an adaptation itself – of the Americano, a simple blend of Campari, vermouth and soda. Story goes that the drink was invented in Florence in 1919 when Count Negroni asked for a slug of gin in his Americano in place of the soda. So the aromatic Negroni was born, and was swiftly adopted by Italians as a pre-dinner drink, or a palate-cleansing settler for after dinner.

The drink has barely been altered in the near-century since it was born. It’s now a super-modish choice in hipster pubs and enthusiastic cocktail bars, where whole Negroni menus are emerging, but the basic blueprint remains the same – making it an easy cocktail to whip up at home and a must try for you gin lovers!

How to make the perfect Negroni

Start with your three spirits – Gin, Campari and vermouth. Campari is simple enough, but there’s a whole world of gin and vermouth to choose from. With the latter we can recommend Punt e Mes or sweet Cinzano rosso (red) vermouth or Cocchi vermouth di Torino.

As for gin…we know the list is endless but go for a clean, classic London dry or navy strength gin – take note of the botanicals and tasting notes and go for one for a strong finish to take on the forceful Campari.

And then theres the garnish…orange is the classic choice. Some like to flame a twist of rind, while others drop in whole slices for that extra citrusy boost. We find a classic orange twist provides the perfect hit of citrus oils without leaving any additional lingering bitterness.

Method:

Fill a short rocks glass with ice – if you want to really show off, try to source a mould for large, round ice cubes – then layer up the three components. I like to add the gin first then the other two. Give it a quick spin using a thin bar spoon and top with your twist of orange.

As the ratio is 1:1:1, you can go as little or large as you wish, but for one serving we’d go for a 25ml shot of each spirit.

There are plenty of variations to the original recipe some prefer more gin, less Campari or sweeter vermouth the choice is yours and it can be different for everyone!