Negroni
I have been trying to figure out which cocktails to write about this month. I don’t need to tell anyone it’s been a year since the pandemic began. As one of my friends mentioned this week, it’s all we talk about. It’s a weird time because I really do see a light at the end of the tunnel but am simultaneously hitting a wall. My kids are at their breaking point. I feel like I spend entire days just keeping us all afloat and by the end of the day, I’m zapped. I haven’t had the energy to fuel my creative cocktail spirit. Here we are 19 days into March and I’ve not shared a single beverage with you. It’s not that I haven’t indulged in cocktails. I’ve just been leaning on my standard repertoire. Which got me thinking, why haven’t I written about the Negroni?
If I had to choose my last cocktail, without question, it would be a Negroni. It’s such a simple combination of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth but it delivers every time. It’s bitter and sweet. It’s herbal and citrusy. It can mirror the bite of a hard day and capture the joy of a good day. If I’m not sharing a new drink, you can bet that I’m drinking Negronis.
The Negroni originated in Florence, Italy in 1919. The most widely told story is that Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to make his favorite drink, the Americano, stronger by replacing the soda water with gin. With that substitution, a classic was born. Many people have riffed on the drink by changing the proportions but I prefer the standard 1:1:1 ratio, stirred with ice until cold and strained into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. When I’m out, I do enjoy the cocktail served up. It’s also a great cocktail to play with different gins. Bolder gins work best to stand up against the Campari. Some people add bitters but I don’t feel it’s necessary. A simple orange peel is my preferred garnish.
Cheers to better days ahead and to the things we take comfort in to get us there!
Negroni
Ingredients:
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth, strongly recommend Carpano Antica
orange peel, as garnish
Method:
Combine Campari, vermouth, and gin in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with orange peel.
