"Valentian Vermouth makes an excellent Negroni. You get some sweetness at first, but once the drink dilutes a little more, you start to taste the bitterness with lovely, candied orange and rhubarb flavours.
In a Negroni, I’m looking for balanced flavours between the gin, bitter (most commonly Campari) and sweet vermouth. Personally, I like the gin to be strong enough to cut through the rest of the ingredients, and it should be clearly juniper forward. I also like a Negroni that has a clear bitter flavour and that is not too sweet - this is why Valentian Vermouth really complements this classic serve.
There is a bit of a squabble around the details of who indeed invented this bright-red cocktail we all love so much, but many accept that it all took place in 1919 in Florence. It is said that the Negroni was born when Count Camillo Negroni wanted to make his usual drink of choice a bit punchier by replacing soda with gin. The classic was born, and it still remains the go-to aperitivo drink amongst many Italians."
- Inka Clarissa, Drinks Distilled Spirits Guide
What you need
- Valentian Vermouth Rosso
- Hidden Curiosities Aranami Strength Gin
- Campari
- Ice
- Garnish: Orange slice
- Mixing glass and strainer
- Jigger and bar spoon
- Rocks glass
Method
- Add a handful of ice to a mixing glass with 25ml vermouth, 25ml gin and 25ml Campari then stir for 30 seconds.
- Strain into a Rocks glass, over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Negroni History
The Negroni is perhaps Italy's best known cocktail. It's a punchy mix of gin, red vermouth and Campari, usually served on ice and often served with a splash of soda water in Italy. But where did it come from?
The cocktail first appeared in a letter from 1918-1920 written by Count Camillo Negroni who had been asking for gin in his Americano cocktails. As an Americano is served with Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water, the use of gin in the place of soda water was the transformative step behind the birth of this famous drink.
Until 1947, the Negroni enjoyed some popularity but not by the same name. It went by other titles including 'Camparinete'. However, 1947 saw the Negroni becoming the signature postwar drink of Italy.
Over the next few years it continued to gain attention due to its strength and interesting colour. By the end of the 1950s, Campari had launched an advertising campaign in America calling it the 'world connoisseur's cocktail' and its popularity surged.
Due to its relative simplicity and pleasantly challenging taste, the Negroni has spawned daring varieties aplenty.
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