The Negroni Cocktail

The classic ap?ritif the Negroni is a work of art when correctly crafted. And with just three ingredients—gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari—all of equal proportion, it should not be hard to get right. Yet so often it is shoddily prepared, if not made with entirely the wrong ingredients, that a perfect Negroni is a rarity. But it is a rarity worth seeking out.

The Negroni

The key to the Negroni is its balance. That Zen derives from equal parts of all three ingredients—and the right ingredients to begin with. Campari is Campari, so that is easy. For the gin, you want something smooth, so I usually reach for Plymouth. But smooth and full bodied aren’t mutually exclusive, and Anchor Steam’s Jun?pero is full bodied, with huge juniper notes, but also smooth, with minimal bitters. For the sweet vermouth, the traditional input is a classic Italian russo such as Martini & Rossi. I also like Vya Sweet, a craft vermouth made in California. The goal is a perfectly balanced package, with the astringent gin paired with the bitter Campari, itself tempered by the sweet vermouth.

The Negroni’s origins, as with all cocktail history, is likely as much myth as fact. The story is that the flashy barfly Count Camillo Negroni, in the early 1920′s at Firenze’s Bar Casoni, grew tired of his Americano (the highball cocktail, not the espresso drink, of sweet vermouth, Campari, and sparkling water). The bartender, recognizing the count’s dipsomania, swapped the sparkling water for gin. Intentionally or not, the result was a surprisingly balanced cocktail. The count was in heaven.

There is some debate as to whether the original Negroni was served straight up in a cocktail glass or on the rocks in an old fashioned. Today, in official US cocktail guides, the drink is served on the rocks in an old fashioned. I prefer that approach, because the extra chill makes the drink all the more refreshing and the slight dilution helps balance it out. Also, like Leo, I love the feel of a heavy old fashioned in my hand. But don’t take my word for gospel; try it both ways and you decide. Make sure your cocktail glass is well chilled, though.

One more note: A perfect Negroni is stirred, not shaken. A little dilution is actually welcome, but you want to avoid the froth that shaking develops. So be gentle and stir.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1 ounce (1 pony shot) gin
1 ounce (1 pony shot) sweet vermouth
1 ounce (1 pony shot) Campari
1 orange peel, to garnish

Fill a large glass with ice cubes. Combine the gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. With a bar spoon, stir well until integrated. Let rest until the glass starts to sweat.

Fill an old fashioned glass (lowball) with large ice cubes. Strain in the contents of the large glass.

Flame the orange peel: Hold the peel over the cocktail glass, skin side down, and run a lit match back and forth across the skin with the flame about an inch away, firmly squeezing the peel until it ignites.

Rub the orange peel over the rim of the old fashioned glass. Drop the peel into the glass, skin side down. Enjoy.