The Negroni has been around for a hundred years. I will admit I’m new to this cocktail. I had avoided trying this famous libation, partly because an ex of mine used to drink Campari over ice. Campari is one of the 3 main ingredients of a Negroni. I had found the liquor a bit bitter for my taste (or was it just my ex…lol). Spring44 made their own version of a bitter liquor similar to Campari called Fortify, I decided to play around and finally see what all this fuss was about. It turns out I now totally understand why this cocktail has held up its reputation after 100 years. It is a very well-balanced cocktail that is refreshing with citrusy notes and yet savory and satisfying. Just the kind of cocktail I really enjoy.
A Negroni is not for the freight of heart. It is definitely a potent cocktail. But it is the kind of cocktail you can sip slowly and enjoy. The orange peel garnish is essential. The aroma and oils from the peel bring this cocktail all together, so do not skip it. It is worth getting an orange or two to have around for making negronis. The Negroni is also a very easy cocktail to make. No shaker required. All you need is just some ice, a good gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, and the orange peel, and you are good to go.
The history of the Negroni is an interesting one. A certain Count Camillo Negroni in 1919 asked his friend Forsco Scarselli, a bartender at Caffe Carsoni, in Florence, Italy, to make his Americano stronger. An Americano is a Campari, soda water, and Vermouth cocktail popular during the early 1900s. The story goes, Mr. Scarselli replaced the Soda water with some gin. And the Negroni cocktail was born. Word soon got out, and everyone was coming into the cafe for a ‘Negroni”. His family even started a distillery bottling the ready-made version of the cocktail sold as Antico Negroni. The distillery still makes it today.
Count Negroni was quite the character himself. He traveled the world, even working as a cowboy in the American west in his twenties and living in London, which is probably where he got his love of gin. It makes you wonder if he might have suggested the replacing of the soda with the gin.
Spring44 was generous and gave me a bottle of their Fortify to play around with, and it makes an incredible negroni. I have played around Campari too, and the original liquor is fantastic also There are several other makers of this family of bitter liquors that are worth a try. Using different gins can change up the flavor of a Negroni significantly. I can’t seem to decide which gin I enjoy more, but the Aged Old Tom Gin from Spring44 gave this Negroni a huge depth of flavor, making me want to sip one by a fireside with some cheese and wine before a great meal. A smooth, dry gin such as Spring44 or The Botanist are also fantastic, making a negroni bright and refreshing. Whereas a gin strong in the juniper side such as Spring44 Mountain gin makes a lively negroni full of crisp mountain air. Really, I like them all! I’ve made several in the past weeks and look forward to many more this fall.
- 1 oz gin I used Spring44 Old Tom Gin
- 1 oz Campari or another bitter aperitif such as Spring44 Fortify
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 1 large piece orange peel pith removed with a peeler
- Ice
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In a glass combine the gin, Campari, and the Sweet Vermouth
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Add a couple of Ice cubes and stir to chill the cocktail down.
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Pour into a Low ball glass filled with more ice.
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Twist the orange peel over the cocktail to help release some of the oils and add to the finished cocktail.
This is a cocktail that can be made in a batch of multiples, stirred, chilled, and poured into individual glasses.
