December 2022 – Negroni

This month’s cocktail is for the Gin lovers out there (and also the gin haters).  Yes, I am/was a Gin hater, and have never been a fan of the juniper taste that accompanies a London dry Gin.  However, I decided to give it another try with the Negroni.  I have recently seen countless references to this cocktail and decided to research its origin and recipes.  What I discovered is just like a Manhattan the trick here is to remain true to the basic ratio of three ingredients (1 oz of each), use high quality ingredients (Bombay Sapphire Gin, Compari and Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth) and don’t forget to squeeze an orange peel over top.  I was blown away by how an absolutely simple cocktail exudes so much complexity in taste and takes a spirit that I never liked and transformed it into this wonderful concoction.  I can’t believe I deprived myself of this cocktail for all these years.  The story of the Negroni is actually interesting as well.  As the story goes, in 1919 a Count (you guessed it “Count Negroni”) in Florence Italy ordered an Americano (traditionally Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda water). Maybe the Count was not having a good day and asked the bartender (Scarselli) to kick it up a notch by replacing the soda with Gin. In order to show the Count that the drink was no longer an Americano the bartender supposedly switch the traditional lemon peel for an orange peel garnish.  The Negroni was born, and I must say it is an amazing cocktail that has herbal undertones and has both a bitterness and sweetness aspect with an undercurrent of orange citrus. So, whether a Gin lover or hater give it a try.  If I can be converted after 35+ years as a gin hater, then that is saying something.

Ingredients:

• Bombay Sapphire Gin (or your favorite dry Gin)
• Compari
• Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
• Orange (citrus oils and garnish)

Tools:

• Oxo two-sided shot glass/jigger
• Large Ice Cube Form
• Double Rocks Glass
• Cocktail strainer
• Mixing Glass
• Mixing spoon

Directions:

1. Make sure you have a large ice cube (square or round) available for cocktail.
2. Place ice cube into double rocks glass.
3. Take an orange slice and carefully remove rind and set aside. Squeeze 5 or so drops of orange juice over the ice cube from the fruit you removed from the rind.
4. Fill mixing glass with ice and then add ingredients for one cocktail.
   • Bombay Sapphire Gin – 1oz
   • Compari – 1 oz
   • Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth – 1 oz
5. Stir cocktail until very cold (30 – 45 seconds minimum)
6. Strain drink using cocktail strainer (liquid only) into double rocks glass over the single cube.
7. Take a slice of orange rind/peel and squeeze several times into the top of glass (orange side facing the drink) to release the citrus oils.  This minor act makes a world of difference to the character and flavor of the cocktail. Then garnish by dropping the squeezed orange peel into the cocktail (or make a fancier version with an orange peel)

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