With only three ingredients, the Negroni can seem like a fairly boring cocktail - but don’t be fooled. A true Negroni takes pride in the perfection of its simplicity, with the harmonious blend of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari akin to an extended note in the symphony of mixology… Okay maybe that was a bit much - but that doesn’t stop the Negroni being one of the UK’s most popular cocktails.
This classic creation was made in Italy by request of its namesake: Count Camillo Negroni. Legend has it that the Count asked a bartender to strengthen his Americano (the cocktail, not the coffee), and the bartender duly swapped out the soda water for premium gin. We like the sound of them! In the spirit (pun intended) of the Count’s bartender, we too have put together some variations of the classic Negroni that you can try out today!
Classic Gin Negroni
Before you start veering off into crazy variations, you’ve got to nail the classic. Mastering the Negroni isn’t always easy, but it’s great fun. A gin we love for the classic is Monkey 47, bursting with 47 different botanicals. Fun fact: Monkey 47 is also 47% alcohol (they clearly have a lucky number)!
Ingredients
25ml Monkey 47 gin
25ml sweet vermouth
25ml Campari
orange slice for garnish
Method
Add ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir for 20-30 seconds until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass. Add large ice cubes and garnish with a slice of orange.
White Negroni
A White Negroni is essentially France’s version of the classic Italian drink. The story of its creation is that a British bartender working in France wanted to make a Negroni but couldn’t find Campari or sweet vermouth. Instead, he picked up two very French aperitifs and went with that. Then and there he was given French citizenship. Everybody clapped. Also Marie Antoinette returned from the dead, put her head back on and shook his hand (okay that might have been made up).
Ingredients
37.5ml gin
25ml Lillet Blanc
12.5ml Suze liqueur
twist of lemon for garnish
Method
Add ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir for 20-30 seconds until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Find Lillet Blanc here // Find Suze here
Boulevardier
You’ve probably heard of this cocktail before, but did you know that it’s a whiskey variation on a Negroni? Now you do. Tell your friends! For this cocktail, we’ve picked Brough Brothers Bourbon, a small batch bourbon boasting cooked fruit, vibrant spice and toasty oak notes.
Ingredients
45ml Brough Brothers Bourbon
25ml sweet vermouth
25ml Campari
twist of orange to garnish
Method
Chill a cocktail glass by placing it in the freezer. Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass and fill two thirds of the way with ice. Stir for around 30 seconds to chill and strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.
Find Brough Brothers Bourbon here
Prosecco Negroni (Negroni Sbagliato)
Go full on Italian with your Negroni and swap out the gin for Italy’s homegrown bubbly. Only Prosecco will do, so put down the Champagne! The Prosecco makes for a lighter Negroni, perfect for if you’re not a big fan of the bitterness Negronis can have. The Prosecco we’ve chosen is Extra Dry Giusti Rosalia Prosecco. As it’s extra dry, the slight sweetness knocks off the spirits’ bitterness. Definitely one to try.
Ingredients
25ml Giusti Rosalia Prosecco
25ml Campari
25ml sweet vermouth
orange slice to garnish
Method
Pour the Campari and vermouth into a rocks glass and fill with ice. Top up with Prosecco. Stir gently to chill and garnish with the orange slice.
Find Extra Dry Giusti Rosalia Prosecco Treviso here
Rosé Negroni
Bet you didn’t know you could get Rosé Vermouth. Turns out you can, and it’s a wonderful addition to this bittersweet Negroni variation. The strawberry liqueur adds a cheeky amount of fruitiness to the drink, an element you never knew your Negroni needed. Pick up a bottle of El Bandarra Vermut Rosé. Their funky frosted glass bottle looks great on your shelf, and it’s made from all organic ingredients! El Bandarra also make a great non-rosé vermouth too!
Ingredients
25ml premium gin
25ml El Bandarra Vermut Rosé
12.5ml Aperol
12.5ml strawberry liqueur
strawberry, to garnish
Method
Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass and fill with ice. Stir to chill and add more ice. Garnish with the strawberry and enjoy!
Find El Bandarra Vermut Rosé here
The Founder: The Americano
Let us all sit around the fire and look at the family photo album of the Negroni. Way back when, the Negroni started as the ‘Americano’ (which actually started as the Milano-Torin, but that’s a story for another time). It’s possible its name was given to it by the hoards of Prohibition-era American tourists that were big fans of the drink, but nobody’s 100% sure where the name comes from. As there are so few ingredients to the drink, it’s important they’re all excellent quality. The bottle we’ve picked for this Americano is Cocchi Storico Vermouth Di Torino: properly Italian, properly delicious.
Ingredients
35ml Campari
35ml Cocchi Storico Vermouth
soda water
orange wedge for garnish
Method
Pour Campari and vermouth into a highball glass and add ice. Top up with soda water. Garnish with the orange wedge and enjoy!
Find Cocchi Storico Vermouth Di Torino Here
Looking for more cocktail recipes? Then how about checking out One Drink, Three Ways: Macallan 12 or 5 Of The Best Scotch Whisky Cocktails To Drink Right Now!