6 Perfectly Premixed Negronis for the Summer

Words by Helena Nicklin

From what we can see at The Three Drinkers, one of this summer’s top drinks trends is bottled cocktails and drinks subscriptions services. There are several new companies that have sprung up recently, all offering some seriously good, balanced and beautiful looking premixed cocktails. Being huge fans of the Negroni however, we thought we’d highlight some of those specifically that have really turned our heads. All these are available to be delivered and make great gifts in the process, both for your friends or even, yourself!

Halo

Halo have won lockdown drinks. It’s official. Their selection of expertly prepared, super-fresh cocktails don’t just look the part and taste the part, but they are offered as a Zoom team drinks delivery service and are also available on a monthly subscription. Their Negroni comes in a 50cl bottle and comprises of London Dry Gin, Vermouth and Campari. A little softer than some you might get offered in a real bar, it’s dangerously drinkable. Serve over ice with an orange slice. Every month, they support a charity and this July it’s Black Minds Matter. Even more reason to taste!  £32 for 50cl. See more here. 

Cambridge Distillery Negroni

This luxury gin producer Cambridge Distillery has smashed it with the presentation and preparation of this pre-mixed Negroni. Deliciously aromatic with a warming, spicy kick, this Negroni is a limited edition, so get it while you still can. They are also donating 10% of all proceeds to a teaching hospital nearby. What is not to love about that? Find it here for £30 for 50cl.

Bottle Proof Negroni

Created for the hospitality industry to help train bartenders and to offer a high quality, reliable cocktail product that takes seconds to prepare, Bottle Proof makes both single serve measures (in the cutest bottles) as well as 70cl bottles. Buy one small bottle of each and it makes the greatest, most colourful drinky gift! I loved their Negroni; more fruity than some with pretty, perfumed notes thanks to the addition of bitters. Find it here at Laraza Cambridge, in 60cl bottles for £29.70 or single serve, 95ml bottles for £4.75.

Batch

This SE London cocktail bar has pivoted prettily during lockdown to offer some of its most famous cocktails in batches for local delivery. All small-batch and handmade, their Negroni is famously good, thanks in part to an extra splash of Bathtub gin. Why have we never tried this before? You can order online or through Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Find the Negroni here for £15.

Cocchi Negroni In A Box

Here’s a Negroni that fits through your postbox and can be carried in your handbag! Using one of our absolute favourite Italian vermouths ‘Cocchi’, this is a delicious version with equal parts Cocchi vermouth, London dry gin and Campari. Perfectly balanced with a smoothness that‘s characteristic of Cocchi, this is a cocktail that upgrades your picnic and park drinks. Find it here for £8.25 per 100ml or £39.95 for a 5 pack. 

SendANegroni.com

Another letterbox Negroni with the added fun of being able to personalise it with a message. From the team behind Porter’s Gin, it's a blend of this with Campari bitter and a new Parisien vermouth called Baldoria Rosso. There are two versions to choose from: the Classic One, which uses Porter’s gin or the Tropical One, using Porter’s Tropical Old Tom. They make brilliant alternatives to a birthday card and a fun gift for anyone of drinking age. Find them here for £10 for 50cl, message and delivery all in. Banging.

Like this? Try our latest Drinker Discovery post, 7 Rums That Scream Luxury, and the World’s best Sipping Tequilas

The Best Gins For A Martini

Words by Colin Hampden-White

This Saturday it is world gin day which has been gathering popularity every year. With a multitude of gins to choose from in bars, the Martini is the most drunk cocktail of the day. This year is different as most of us will be locked down and at home. When we would have been in bars with a plethora of gins at our disposal, most of us don’t have the budget for more than one or two. Here we have compiled a list of the gins we think are the best gins in the world for making a Martini, from classics to new exciting brands, all lovingly created for your delectation. I believe there is a gin in the world for every palate, and here we come a long way in finding them.  

 Classics

 Bombay Sapphire

This is one of the most delicately perfumed gins in the world, which makes it perfect for a dry martini. Be careful with the vermouth with this one, it can easily drown it. But with just the right amount, which can be achived by simply rinsing the glass in vermouth, this can make a truly memorable martini. Chill the gin in the fridge for perfect results. One for those who have a delicate palate. Expect light juniper and sugared almonds, but still lots of herbaceous flavours too.

ABV: 40%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £21.98 // US $32.99

Tanqueray 10

Introduced to the world in 2000, Tanqueray No. Ten is named after the still it is made in, pot still number 10, which is nicknamed Tiny Ten. The small batch gin is created using whole fresh citrus fruits, such as oranges, limes and grapefruit, alongside chamomile flowers and other traditional botanicals. Expect a burst of citrus with every sip. Quite notably, it is also the only gin to secure a spot in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition Hall of Fame. This iconic tipple makes a mean Martini.

ABV: 47.3%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £28.50 // US $49.99

No.3

A beautiful looking gin from Berry Bros. Made to a special recipe, the name No.3 refers to the address of Berry Bros & Rudd - Number 3, St James's Street. With juniper at its heart, it's also made with three fruits and three spices using copper pot stills. Juniper to the fore, supported by floral notes and spicy, warm cardamom. Plenty of citrus ‘zing’ complemented by the gingery spiciness of coriander. This is a powerful gin, and is superb in a Martini, especially when the bottle is kept in the freezer, I think it’s a good idea for all higher strength gin to be kept in the freezer all the time. Topping off this gins credentials is the fact it has won the International Spirits Challenge best gin in the world four times.

ABV: 46%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £33.49 // US $39.99

Beefeater 24

A more recent addition to the Beefeater range. When creating Beefeater 24, Desmond Payne knew he had to come up with something totally different for his selection of botanicals. He used tea! The 12 ingredients used are Japanese Sencha Tea, Chinese green tea and then Seville orange peel, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, juniper, coriander seed, liquorice, angelica root, almond and orris root. It is called Beefeater 24 because the botanicals are steeped in the spirit for a full 24 hours. The result is a fragrant gin with good sweetness and plenty of complexity. A cerebral gin for those who like to ponder.

ABV: 45%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £25.90 // US $44.99

Modern Classics

Sipsmith London Dry Gin

Produced in the workshop previously used by the late, great Michael Jackson (whisky writer, not Moonwalker), this super-small-batch artisinal Gin is flavoured very carefully, making it easier for the natural quality of the spirit to shine through. Distilled in a marvellously compact pot still / column still combo. named Prudence, Sipsmith epitomises distilling on a truly artisinal scale. At the time of her installation, Prudence was the first copper pot still to be brought to life in London for over 200 years. This makes a clean Martini, and is great for those who want to experiment with different vermouths as it will let the flavour of the vermouth shine through. 

ABV: 41.6%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £26.99 // US $37.99

Ki No Bi

This is my favourite gin for a Martini of all time. Ki No Bi Gin is the first release from the Kyoto Distillery! Unveiled in 2016, Ki No Bi Gin has been made using a rice spirit base, as well as a selection of botanicals including locally-sourced ingredients - like yuzu, hinoki wood chips, bamboo leaves, green sansho and gyokuro tea. The botanicals are split into six flavour groups (Base, Citrus, Tea, Spice, Fruity & Floral and Herbal), and each group is distilled individually before being blended together. Incredible stuff, this. Like No.3, Ki No Bi is great in a Martini when kept in the freezer. 

ABV: 45.7%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £43.99 // US $79.99

Chase GB

This dry, juniper led gin tastes like it has been designed for the much loved G&T, but as well as making a great G&T, it also makes a well-rounded Martini. This exceptional gin starts life as Chase's Potato Vodka, but is then combined with a selection of 10 botanicals - like juniper, almond, angelica, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, coriander, ginger, lemon peel and liquorice root. Boasts a good balance of spice and citrus, with the all-important juniper commanding the room. If you like a juniper led gin, but also want to taste the other flavours coming through on the palate, then you will adore Chase.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £27.99

Cotswolds Dry Gin

The Cotswolds distillery was built to make whisky, but luckily for us, their founder Dan Zsor also has a passion for gin. The Cotswolds Dry Gin, is made with juniper, coriander and angelica root macerated in their pure wheat spirit for 24 hours. Following this, they add a botanical selection including bay leaf, grapefruit, lime, black pepper, cardamom seed and Cotswolds lavender to their carter head still for distillation. To bring it down to bottling strength, a robust 46% ABV, they use naturally refined Cotswolds water. A modern gin in a classic style which makes a rounded and easy to drink Martini.

ABV: 46%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £31 // US $46.79

The New Wave

Oxford Rye Organic Gin

The Oxford Artisan Distillery was founded by Tom Nicolson in the historical city of Oxford, making it the first, legal gin distillery in the 'city of dreaming spires'! The first gin release from these intrepid new distillers was Spirit of Toad, billed as an 'Oxford Dry Gin' this progression is made with rye grown exclusively on organic farms within a 50 mile radius of the site, this is truly a local spirit, now known simply as Oxford Rye Organic dry gin. It was distilled in two, handmade, purpose built stills, Nautilus (2,200 litre) and Nemo (500 litre), which were built by Paul Pridham from South Devon Railway. For those who like a little peppery kick to a Martini, this will be for you.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £33.50

Due Sorelle

Due Sorelle, meaning two sisters in Italian has been created by two sisters. They wanted to create a gin that went very well with Champagne, and it really does. However it also makes a mean Martini. The sisters got together with the Yorkshire Dales distillery to create this gin. Only released towards the start of 2020 it has already got a loyal following. This versatile gin is fabulous in all gin cocktails, but when not mixing with lots of ingredients, it makes a great Martini, especially if you go light on the vermouth.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £39.95

Beaufort smoked sipping gin

Here’s something a little bit different and for all the right reasons. Inspired by Heston Blumenthal, Beaufort Spirit have created a ‘whisky barrel’ smoked water as part of their Smoked Sipping Gin. Szechuan pepper, pink pepper and citrus oils combine once poured to give the illusion of gunpowder smouldering in the glass. At 57% this gin certainly passes the ‘gunpowder’ test and has taken its place as the new ‘big smoke’ in town. Definitely one to discover if you like sipping gins. 

ABV: 57%
Size: 500ml
Find here: £39.95

Gießen Dry Gin

Giessen or Gießen in its home town in Germany is great if you’re looking for something exotic, Gin is an element of Gi(eße)n and the makers of this gin would like to introduce this essence to all connoisseurs of high-quality juniper distillates. In a meticulous search for the perfect taste, friends Yan-Tobias Ramb & Michael Karber have chosen ingredients that characterise their home in central Hessen and have accompanied through childhood into their lives today. In addition to the juniper berry, Dry Gin also emphasises the wonderful fruit combination of apple and rhubarb and refines it florally with elegant hibiscus blossoms and eight other exquisite supporting botanicals. For those who like a fruity gin, then look no further. You can even buy it in a Magnum sized bottle!

ABV: 46%
Size: 500ml
Find here: €35.39

Chase pink grapefruit & pomelo

OK, so this is a bit of a curve ball. Flavoured gins used to be not very good. They used to taste synthetic and unnatural, but today there are some great expressions of flavoured gin, and many of them can be found in our article on flavoured gin. They make fabulously fruity summer tasting Martinis. Not an everyday cocktail, but when you have a hot summer day and want to capture that summer feeling, take your favourite fruit flavour, buy a gin with that predominant flavour, chill it down and don’t use vermouth and sip it neat. Delicious. Our favourite at the moment is Chase pink grapefruit and pomelo gin.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £37.99

For more gintastic suggestions, we’ve got a great guide to Scottish gin which might just get you wanting to go to Scotland to visit a gin rather than whisky distillery.