How To Make The Perfect Negroni
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15 minutes prep time
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Easy
The Negroni is renowned for being one of the most popular cocktails in the world. It’s a traditional Italian tipple that is made from Gin, Vermouth Rosso and Campari to create a gorgeously refreshing drink. The Negroni is considered to be one of the most sophisticated yet simple cocktails around and is a firm favourite with everyone from Ernest Hemmingway to your local bartender.
The Negroni is very versatile too - it’s a perfect summer cocktail, but also tastes delicious in the winter with its rich orange flavour. It’s mostly considered an aperitif that should be served with nibbles and should always, always be stirred as opposed to shaken.
The History Of The Negroni
Before learning how to make a Negroni, it’s good to have a brief understanding of its history. The West’s love affair with the Negroni started back in the 1800s, when Italians started drinking it as a pre-dinner treat. Although it hadn’t earned the name Negroni yet, this early version of the drink contained Campari, Vermouth and Soda mixed together to create a bitter and sweet cocktail.
Before it was known as a Negroni, the much-loved cocktail was called an Americano due to its popularity with American tourists that visited Italy in the early 1900s.
However, this version of the Negroni - whilst delicious - was missing a little va va voom. This was until Camillo de Negroni decided that the cocktail needed a little something extra, so the bartender added dry gin to replace the soda and topped it with orange zest instead. Since then, the Negroni has graced many a cocktail book and has become a firm favourite around the world.
How Do You Make A Negroni?
Making a Negroni is easy, but making a good Negroni is an art. We’ve put together our top tips on how to make a Negroni, to help you create your perfect cocktail.
To make a Negroni, you will need:
Ingredients Serves: 1
- 25ml Gin
- 25ml Campari
- 25ml Sweet Red Vermouth
- Peeled zest of an orange
Method
- Fill a short rocks glass with ice. Traditional small square cubes are fine, or if you’d like to enjoy a stronger flavour for longer, a giant sphere ice cube is perfect.
- Add your classic London dry gin to the glass
- Add the Campari
- Add the Sweet Red Vermouth
- Stir very gentle, to let the colours and flavours blend
- Garnish with orange peel
Negroni With A Twist
If you have a sweet tooth and enjoy a berry flavour as opposed to a citrus flavour in your cocktails, you can opt to add a Fabbri Amarena Cherry or two to your Negroni.These small black Amarena cherries are soft and juicy with a deliciously sour taste. Originating from Bologna, these wild cherries add a delightful splash of colour to the Negroni and balance the bitter taste with sweetness, if you’re more that way inclined.
If you’d like to experiment with our Fabbri Amarena Cherries, then the Negroni is a perfect place to start. You can also read our recent article on How To Create The Perfect Old Fashioned for more inspiration.
