An Ideal Negroni

[EvergreenDan]

Balanced? I like bitter. A Negroni is 2:1 sweet to dry. It can take a lot of bitter. I also like a Perfect Negroni -- split the Punt e Mes with a dry Dry Vermouth, like Boissiere (rather than, say, Dolin).

[FrogPrincesse]

Punt e Mes works great. The little extra spike of bitterness can be a good thing with an assertive gin. My neighborhood bar/restaurant uses it by default in Negronis (with Tanqueray) and made me a convert.

I also like Dolin red (herbal, dry, and not as not " in your face" as other red vermouths) and Cocchi vermouth di Torino (deeper, richer flavor with chocolate undertones). The only vermouth I stay away from is Carpano Antica Formula. Too sweet for Negronis.

[lindag]

Well I've never had a Negroni cocktail before but after reading through this thread I've become convinced that I've been missing out.

Compari is on my list for the liquor store.

[Craig E]

Well I've never had a Negroni cocktail before but after reading through this thread I've become convinced that I've been missing out.

Compari is on my list for the liquor store.

Just bear in mind, if this is all new to you: decide whether you like it on your *third* try, not your first. Many people find there's an odd switch from "detest" to "adore" that only gets flipped around Campari cocktail #3.

(Doesn't have to be in a row, of course!)

[Moto]

Craig E gives beautiful advice here.  I tried my first Negroni about 10 years ago.  I thought to myself why is this horrid drink a cocktail classic?  I was already a gin fan at that time and a fan of all things bitter but I just wasn't ready for the combo.  I tried it again a few years later and still didn't get it.  Finally tried it a third time and the light bulb came on.

[haresfur]

Well I've never had a Negroni cocktail before but after reading through this thread I've become convinced that I've been missing out.

Compari is on my list for the liquor store.

 

Never mind. Just concurring with Craig's advice. But I can add that Campari is very unique in the wonderful world of potable bitters and well worth the effort to appreciate.

Edited May 18, 2015 by haresfur (log)

[lindag]

Ok, I stopped and picked up the Campari, now I could use a suggestion as to how to mix.

where I live we have only simple ingredients.

I have the Campari, several of the common brands of Gin, Tribumo sweet Vermouth and Gallo dry Vermouth.

Can I make a decent drink with what I have?

[haresfur]

Ok, I stopped and picked up the Campari, now I could use a suggestion as to how to mix.

where I live we have only simple ingredients.

I have the Campari, several of the common brands of Gin, Tribumo sweet Vermouth and Gallo dry Vermouth.

Can I make a decent drink with what I have?

 

Basic Negroni: 1:1:1 Campari, gin, sweet vermouth

 

Americano: 1:1 Campari, sweet vermouth. Over ice, top with soda

 

Campari and soda. Serve with lemon or orange slice.

 

Do you have any Fernet Branca? Another favourite of mine is Campari, 1 tbsp Fernet, bitter lemon soda, and a few dashes of bitters.

[FrogPrincesse]

Campari Martini!

[EvergreenDan]

Campari Martini!

FrogEvilPrincess

[lindag]

Thank you.  I tried this (it was also the recipe on the back of the Campari bottle) and it was good, not great, to my taste.

However, I'm willing to tinker and try it a few times to see if it's true that it has to grow on me; it is quite different.

 

Basic Negroni: 1:1:1 Campari, gin, sweet vermouth

 

 

Edited May 19, 2015 by lindag (log)

[paulraphael]

Thank you.  I tried this (it was also the recipe on the back of the Campari bottle) and it was good, not great, to my taste.

However, I'm willing to tinker and try it a few times to see if it's true that it has to grow on me; it is quite different.

 

Aside from it being a bit of an acquired taste, there's a lot of range available before you mess with the proportions. Gins are different from one another, and sweet vermouths are radically different. You can get a lot of flavors while sticking with the 1:1:1

 

If you do deviate, the most common thing is to up the proportion of gin a bit. Like 1.5 : 1 : 1. A little boozier, but less intensely bitter.

 

BTW, I like that you're posting about Negronis at 9:02 AM.

[EvergreenDan]

I found the Negroni one of the more challenging ways to enjoy Campari. Try Seltzer, lime, and the desired amount of Campari. Start with a little -- you can always add more to the glass. The acid from the lime, tempers the bitter-sweet Campari. Then try a gin-heavy Negroni ratio, as paulraphael suggests.

[lindag]

Paul,

I did just what you suggested and increased the gin by half - gin is really my favorite spirit.  I liked that combination a bit better.

Should I try it with dry vermouth?  Keep in mind that the selections at local liquor stores are pretty basic.

[Craig E]

If the Campari and dry vermouth are at hand, you're a bottle of rye whiskey away from an Old Pal, or a bottle of tequila away from a Jalisco Stroll, either of which is worth trying.

Sticking with gin/Campari combinations, if you could find St. Germain you could make a Bitter Elder, or with Cointreau a Robert Hess Jasmine. If you like grapefruity flavors you'll likely enjoy either of those.

But you might just keep tinkering with the Negroni too. Are there vermouths one shelf up from what you have that might be worth trying out?

[lesliec]

If the Campari and dry vermouth are at hand, you're a bottle of rye whiskey away from an Old Pal, or a bottle of tequila away from a Jalisco Stroll, either of which is worth trying.

Sticking with gin/Campari combinations, if you could find St. Germain you could make a Bitter Elder, or with Cointreau a Robert Hess Jasmine. If you like grapefruity flavors you'll likely enjoy either of those.

But you might just keep tinkering with the Negroni too. Are there vermouths one shelf up from what you have that might be worth trying out?

 

... or a bottle of Suze away from a White Negroni (with the dry vermouth).

[weinoo]

Phil Ward's Cornwall Negroni: A really excellent drink, heavier on the gin to make up for a little lighter on the modifiers, but it works just fine. The sweet vermouth in this version was most likely M & R or Antica, its sweetness tamed by not being an ounce.

 

Created by Phillip Ward, Pegu Club, New York, 2005.

 

2 ounces Beefeater gin

1/2 ounce Campari

1/2 ounce Punt e Mes

1/2 ounce sweet vermouth

2 dashes orange bitters

1 orange twist, as garnish

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Add the garnish.

[lindag]

"Sticking with gin/Campari combinations, if you could find St. Germain you could make a Bitter Elder, or with Cointreau a Robert Hess Jasmine. If you like grapefruity flavors you'll likely enjoy either of those."

 

Craig, Thank you.  I LOVE grapefruit but can't have it because of bp medications so the Robert Hess sounds perfect for me.

 

The mixer section of my local liquor store is SO SMALL I have no hope of finding anything like Punt e Mes or Frenet  (sp?) or anything at all out of the ordinary.  But I do have a large collection of liquor and I like branching out with new drinks.

I'll look for elderflower next time I stop in but can't get my hopes up.

Edited May 21, 2015 by lindag (log)

[paulraphael]

I've heard that some people go 1/2 and 1/2 with sweet and dry vermouth.

 

Before I found a good replacement for M&R, I made a few drinks with half M&R and half dolin vermouth blanc (which was in the fridge left over from something or other). I don't know anything about vermouth blanc but it tastes pretty good. The resulting Negroni was fine if a bit pale looking and mild.

 

And apropos of nothing, last week I had my first boulevardier, made with makers. That's a nice drink ... maybe should have its own thread.

[weinoo]

And apropos of nothing, last week I had my first boulevardier, made with makers. That's a nice drink ... maybe should have its own thread.

An excellent cocktail, in that family of Old Pal, 1794, New Friend, etc.

[FrogPrincesse]

And apropos of nothing, last week I had my first boulevardier, made with makers. That's a nice drink ... maybe should have its own thread.

It already does.

Edited May 21, 2015 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[brinza]

I've been drinking a lot of Brown Bombers lately.  (from the PDT Cocktail book)

 

2 oz George Dickel Tenessee whiskey (I've just been using bourbon, however)

0.75 oz Lillet

0.5 oz Suze

 

A good example of a drink where the sum is more than its parts, and the key to this one is in the ratios.  Everything is in perfect harmony.

[EvergreenDan]

"Sticking with gin/Campari combinations, if you could find St. Germain you could make a Bitter Elder, or with Cointreau a Robert Hess Jasmine. If you like grapefruity flavors you'll likely enjoy either of those."

 

Craig, Thank you.  I LOVE grapefruit but can't have it because of bp medications so the Robert Hess sounds perfect for me.

 

The mixer section of my local liquor store is SO SMALL I have no hope of finding anything like Punt e Mes or Frenet  (sp?) or anything at all out of the ordinary.  But I do have a large collection of liquor and I like branching out with new drinks.

I'll look for elderflower next time I stop in but can't get my hopes up.

Neither drink actually has grapefruit in it.

 

There are a number of elderflower liqueurs on the market now. It was all the rage, then was overused and fell out of favor, but now is seeing a little comeback I think. It is still a great flavor if you weren't overexposed to it. It is not floral at all -- more like lychee.

[paulraphael]

Here are some standard variations I dug up:

 

Camparinette: 1oz gin, 3/4 oz Campari, 3/4oz sweet vermouth (similar to the gin-heavy versions we've been talking about)
Negroni Sbagliato: replace vermouth with prosecco
Boulevardier: replace gin with bourbon (predates 1st known negroni) 
Old Pal: rye, dry vermouth, campari (predates 1st known negroni) 
Kingston Negroni / Man About Town: replace gin with Jamaican rum
Agavoni: replace gin with Tequila Blanca
Negroski: replace gin with vodka (emergencies only)

[mhdousa]

Just finished off my bottle of gin and wondering what I should get next. What are folks' preferred gins for a negroni? I've used Beefeater (great), Citadelle (ok), Half Moon Orchard (ok).