Negroni
Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and red bitter aperitivo. Bittersweet, strong and easy to remember.
- MethodStirred
- GlassRocks (old fashioned) glass
- IceOne large cube
- Strengthabout 20.0% ABV
- BaseGin, Wine & aperitivo
- Tastebitter, strong, sweet
Recipe
| 30 ml 1 oz | London dry gin |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Sweet (red) vermouth |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Red bitter aperitivo (Milan-style, about 25%) |
Garnish. A wide piece of orange peel, squeezed over the drink and dropped in; a half wheel of orange is the common Italian alternative.
Method
- Put the gin, vermouth and bitter aperitivo in a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
- Stir for about 20 seconds to chill and dilute.
- Strain into a rocks glass over one large cube (or fresh cubes).
- Express the orange peel over the top and drop it in.
About the Negroni
The Negroni is three bottles in equal measure: gin, sweet vermouth and a red bitter aperitivo. It is bitter first, then sweet and herbal, with the gin giving it backbone and length. It is a classic before-dinner drink and one of the easiest stirred drinks to get right at home.
History
Documented
The drink sits in a well-documented Italian tradition: the Americano (bitter aperitivo, sweet vermouth and soda) was already common in Milan and Florence by the early 20th century. Florentine historian Luca Picchi gathered letters addressed to Count Camillo Negroni around 1920 and a 1962 magazine interview with the bartender Fosco Scarselli, which together support a Florence origin around 1917–1920. Printed recipes under the name are, so far, only found from the 1940s onwards.
Legend and lore
The usual story says Count Negroni asked Scarselli at Caffè Casoni in Florence to strengthen his Americano with gin instead of soda, around 1919. It rests on later recollection rather than a dated record. A branch of the Negroni family in France has claimed a 19th-century general as the inventor; there is no contemporary evidence for that either.
Disputed or unclear: The 1919 date and the Count's role are widely repeated but rest mainly on recollections gathered long afterwards.
Variations
- Americano. The parent: bitter aperitivo and sweet vermouth lengthened with soda water, no gin.
- Boulevardier. Bourbon or rye in place of gin, often with a little more whiskey than the other two.
- Negroni Sbagliato. Sparkling wine in place of gin, served over ice: lighter and fizzy.
- White Negroni. Gin with a pale gentian aperitif and a white quinquina or bianco vermouth.
Bartender's notes
- Because every ingredient is equal, the vermouth matters as much as the gin; use a fresh, full-flavoured one.
- If you find it too bitter, go up to 45 ml gin and keep the other two at 30 ml.
