The negroni is my brother Paul’s favorite drink. Standing at a healthy 6’6”, he acquired the nickname, “Tall Paul from North Hall,” while attending Whitman. (Any relation to the CSO is coincidental.) An avid cocktail connoisseur, my brother’s palate is more accepting of complex, astringent flavors. I admittedly despise anything containing Campari, as it has a medicinal bitterness that I cannot get past. Campari is a brand of Italian liqueur, with a proprietary blend of herbs and spices acting as its flavoring. It has a strong bitter flavor with numerous herbal intricacies; as such it may be an acquired taste for some. Vermouth is a fortified—meaning alcohol is added—wine-flavored liqueur with herbs and spices. Gin is a distilled, spirit, flavored with—you guessed it—herbs and spices. Gin primarily tastes of juniper berry, and as such has a refreshing alpine quality to it. Feel free to use any brand of vermouth in this recipe, so long as it is sweet vermouth. As for the Gin, one has lots of options. On the frugal side there is Seagram’s dry gin, which will work all day long in any drink. Should you feel like splurging, Dingle gin is lovely with bright, citrus overtones. I advise you try different gins to find one with a flavor profile you like best.
Ingredients
1 part Campari
1 part sweet Vermouth
1 part Gin
slice of orange (optional)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake vigorously.
- Strain mix into chilled old fashioned glass filled with ice; add garnish.