Negroni Recipe
The Negroni is three equal parts, one stir, and a century of Italian bar culture in a single glass. Bracing gin, bitter Campari, and sweet vermouth land in perfect tension: bold enough to open a meal, simple enough to mix on a Tuesday.
Ingredients
- 1 ozLondon dry gin
- 1 ozCampari
- 1 ozsweet vermouth
Garnish
- Orange peel, expressed over the glass and dropped in
Equipment: Mixing glass, bar spoon, jigger, vegetable peeler, rocks glass, large ice cube
Method
- Chill a rocks glass and add one large clear ice cube.
- Combine 1 oz gin, 1 oz Campari, and 1 oz sweet vermouth in a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir steadily for 20 to 30 seconds until the outside of the mixing glass is cold and frosted.
- Strain over the large ice cube in the chilled rocks glass.
- Express an orange peel over the surface, rub it around the rim, and drop it in. Serve immediately.
About the Negroni
The Negroni was born in Florence around 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni asked bartender Fosco Scarselli at Caffe Casoni to strengthen his Americano. Scarselli swapped the soda water for gin and kept the Campari and sweet vermouth, and the drink took the count’s name. A century later it is the benchmark bitter aperitivo cocktail, the template for dozens of modern riffs, and a fixture on bar menus from Milan to Commack.
The recipe is famously equal parts, so the drink lives or dies on your choices. A juniper-forward London dry gin keeps the bitterness in check, Campari supplies the signature rhubarb and orange bite, and a fresh, quality sweet vermouth brings the roundness. Vermouth is wine, so store it in the fridge after opening and use it within a few weeks. Stir, never shake, and use a big dense ice cube so dilution stays slow and the drink stays cold without going watery.
- Use fresh vermouth stored in the refrigerator; an oxidized bottle flattens the drink.
- Stir for a full 20 to 30 seconds to chill and dilute properly without shaking in foam.
- Try a 1.25 oz gin to 1 oz Campari to 1 oz vermouth ratio if you want a touch less bitterness.
- For a Boulevardier, swap the gin for bourbon; for a Sbagliato, replace the gin with prosecco.
Get the bottles delivered
Order online for same-day or next-day Long Island delivery, free curbside pickup in Commack, or wine shipping where it is legal (spirits are local delivery and in-store pickup only). You must be 21 or older.
