Words by Calum Ecroyd
Whether you love a Negroni but want to mix it up, or you’re wanting to give it another chance, you’ve come to the right place.
Loved for its simplicity, we know that there are drinkers out there who would condemn us for experimenting with this cocktail. To them, we say that experimentation and cocktails have always gone hand-in-hand, and if it tastes great then it tastes great. And these variations definitely do. So there ;)
The Classic
Let’s take you back in time to Florence, 1919 where it all began. When Count Camillio Negroni ordered his Americano (the cocktail, not the coffee) but fancied something stronger, his bartender swapped the soda for gin and in doing so, wrote his name into the history books (or the Count’s name at least). If you’re going to dive deeper into the world of Negroni, then it only makes sense to nail the classic first.
Ingredients
25ml gin
25ml sweet vermouth
25ml Campari
Orange slice (garnish)
Method
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill it with ice. Stir for 20 seconds until everything is thoroughly blended and chilled. Strain into a rocks glass. Add more large ice cubes and garnish with a slice of orange.
White Negroni
Jumping over the border, the White Negroni is essentially the French adaptation. Campari and sweet vermouth were harder to find there back in the day, so two French aperitifs filled the vacancy instead. Surely it can’t compete with the classic though? Well, au contraire!
Ingredients
37.5ml gin
25ml Lillet Blanc
12.5ml of Suze Liqueur
Lemon slice (garnish)
Method
Add the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill it with ice. Stir for 20 seconds until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Lemon is a perfect garnish.
Prosecco Negroni
Don’t even bother unpacking because we’re going back over the border again, this time swapping the gin for the lifeblood of hen parties, Prosecco. Italy’s bubbly is the perfect addition if you’re not overly keen on the bitterness of the gin, and it makes for a slightly sweeter and lighter drink.
Ingredients
25ml Prosecco
25ml Campari
12.5ml sweet vermouth
Orange slice (garnish)
Method
Pour the Campari and vermouth into a rocks glass and fill it with ice. Top up with your prosecco and give it a gentle stir. Orange slice to finish.
Rosé Negroni
If you didn’t know about Rosé vermouth then you do now. Combined with Aperol instead of Campari alongside the dash of strawberry liqueur, this is a sweeter, fruitier version of the original, perfect for those put off by the usual bitterness of a Negroni.
Ingredients
25ml Gin
25ml Rosé vermouth
12.5ml Aperol
12.5ml Strawberry Liqueur
Strawberry (garnish)
Method
Add everything into a rocks glass filled with ice and stir well. Sit a strawberry on top and enjoy!
Tequila Negroni
The ‘Tegroni’ is the Negroni’s Mexican cousin, swapping out the traditional gin for Tequila. Bringing a bitter earthiness to the cocktail, this is one of the more popular adaptations and well worth a try. Arriba, arriba!
Ingredients
25ml Tequila
25ml Sweet Vermouth
12.5ml Campari
Grapefruit twist (garnish)
Method
Add the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill it with ice. Stir until thoroughly mixed and strain into a rocks glass. Add large ice cubes and garnish with a twist of grapefruit and some zest for added zing.
Whisky Negroni
There’s a chance you’ve heard this drink by another name before, and that’s Boulevardier. Well, Boulevardier is essentially a Whiskey Negroni - it’s a variation so popular that it’s got its own name (which translates to man-about-town). Some refer to it as Negroni’s edgier, darker, older brother, but with the Mexican cousin above, the whole family thing is getting a bit confusing so we’ll leave that there.
Ingredients
25ml Bourbon
25ml Sweet Vermouth
25ml Campari
Orange slice (garnish)
Method
For this one, chill a cocktail glass by placing it in the freezer. Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass and fill it two thirds of the way with ice. Stir for around 30 seconds to chill and then strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.
Negronis and all their variations are pretty simple cocktails with only a handful of ingredients so making sure each one tastes great is essential.
If you want to pick out the perfect Bourbon for your Boulevardier, take a look here.
Or was it the Tegroni that took your fancy? If so, check these glorious Tequilas out.
And don’t forget you can let us know if you’ve got your own customised Negroni that you think competes with the original by getting in touch here!
