Negroni Week: Negroni Plus One

To celebrate Negroni Week in 2021, the Cadre picked a theme of “Negroni Plus One,” by taking a standard Negroni and then adding just a single ingredient to make something new and different. In a few cases, we altered the proportions to balance any additional sweetness or bitterness. Read on for the recipes we created and make yourself one or more to celebrate Negroni Week. In 2022, Negroni Week runs from September 12th – 18th. For other years, visit the Negroni Week webpage for dates.

 

Negroni Plus One: With Tonic

This is one of the simplest variations we made, intended to accompany a meal of Spanish food and riffing on the classic Spanish Gin & Tonic highball.

• 2.0 oz Gin (we used Tanqueray)
• 0.5 oz Campari
• 0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Carpano Antica)
• 4.0 oz Tonic Water (we used Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic)
• Garnish: Rosemary sprig
• Preparation: Stir the first three ingredients over ice then strain into a Collins or other tall glass over ice. Add the tonic water and give one gentle stir to incorporate. Lightly slap the rosemary sprig then add to the glass.

 

 

Negroni Plus One: Black Cherry

Martin of the Cadre found himself with some 100% black cherry juice and put it to good use by adding it to his Negroni. To compensate for the added sweetness, he dialed down the sweet vermouth and increased the amount of gin. Although drinks with juices are usually shaken, Martin stirred this one to keep the texture associated with a Negroni.

• 1.5 oz gin (we used Prairie Organics)
• 1.0 oz Campari
• 0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Cocchi di Torino)
• 0.5 oz Black Cherry Juice (we used Open Nature)
• Garnish: Orange peel
• Preparation: Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Express the oils of the orange peel over the top, then drop the peel into the glass.

 

 

Negroni Plus One: Aperol

This was an interesting experiment by Cadre member John, who added a measure of Aperol to make a slightly less bitter Negroni. To set off the appearance differently, he garnished the drink with an unripe orange from his tree for its green color. The orange oils were still sweet and fragrant.

• 1.0 oz Gin (we used Bombay Sapphire)
• 0.5 oz Campari
• 0.5 oz Aperol
• 1.0 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Dolin Rouge)
• Garnish: Green orange peel (unripe orange)
• Preparation: Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a coupe or other cocktail glass. Express the oils of the unripe orange peel over the top, then place into the glass.

 

 

 

Negroni Plus One: Figs (“Late Summer Fig Negroni”)

As fall was quickly approaching, Martin decided to make a “late summer” Negroni with the simple addition of some muddled figs, which added some earthy sweet honey notes to the drink.

• 1.25 oz Gin (we used Mulholland Distillery)
• 1.0 oz Campari
• 1.0 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Carpano Antica)
• Garnish: Orange peel and a half of a dried fig
• Preparation: Muddle half a fig (either fresh or dried) with the sweet vermouth in a mixing glass. Add the gin, Campari, and ice and stir until well-chilled. Double-strain into a rocks glass over a large rock. Express the oils of the orange peel over the glass, then add the orange and fig as a garnish.

 

 

Negroni Plus One: Amaro Angeleno

Cadre member Jeff decided to add one of his favorite digestifs, the citrusy, herbal, and slightly bitter Amaro Angeleno. To keep the Campari as the star of the drink, he opted to replace part of the sweet vermouth portion with the Amaro, resulting in a more citrusy, brighter, and less sweet Negroni.

• 1.0 oz Gin (we used Tanqueray)
• 1.0 oz Campari
• 0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Dolin Rouge)
• 0.5 oz Amaro Angeleno
• Garnish: none
• Preparation: Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a rocks glass over a large cube.

 

 

Negroni Plus One: Black Peppercorns

Martin is a big fan of infusing spirits as a fun and way home bartenders can make new and creative flavors without having to buy some obscure spirit they’re unlikely to use again, as well as to keep costs down. For this Negroni variation, he infused gin with black peppercorns to add an earth spiciness to the drink.

• 1.0 oz Gin (we used The Botanist) infused with black peppercorns
• 1.0 oz Campari
• 1.0 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Noilly Pratt)
• Garnish: Orange peel and freshly cracked black pepper
• Preparation: Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Express the oils of the orange peel over the top, then drop into the glass. Add one turn of freshly cracked black pepper on top.
• Black Peppercorn-Infused Gin: Add one 750 ml bottle of London Dry Gin (or the gin of your choice) to a resealable jar, then add three tablespoons black peppercorns. Let steep in a cool, dry place for three days, then fine strain (through cheesecloth or a coffee filter) back into the gin bottle. Make sure to label the bottle. Should keep indefinitely.

 

Negroni Plus One: Orange Bitters

John was inspired to make a Martinez-style Negroni by using equal parts gin and vermouth, replacing the traditional maraschino liqueur with Campari, and adding a few dashes of orange bitters for complexity and balance.

• 1.5 oz Gin (we used Gray Whale)
• 1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Dolin Rouge)
• 0.25 oz Campari
• 2 dashes Orange Bitters (we used Scrappy’s Bitters)
• Garnish: Lemon twist
• Preparation: Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a coupe or cocktail glass. Express the oils of the lemon peel over the top, then drop into the glass.

 

Negroni Plus One: Blackberries

Martin once again muddled some fruit into his Negroni, this time using fresh blackberries his wife had brought home from the local Farmer’s Market. Muddling fruit into standard cocktail recipes is another fun and easy way for home bartenders to modify a cocktail without needing a lot of extra ingredients or fancy techniques.

• 1.5 oz Gin (we used The Botanist)
• 1.0 oz Campari
• 1.0 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Carpano Antica)
• 3 fresh blackberries
• Garnish: 1 fresh blackberry
• Preparation: Muddle the blackberries with the gin in a mixing glass. Add the Campari, sweet vermouth, and ice, then stir until well-chilled. Fine-strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with the blackberry.

 

Negroni Plus One: Egg White

Not all experiments can be winners. Jeff and Martin chatted with their favorite local bartender, who tried her best to talk them out of this idea. We were hampered by our rule to only add one extra ingredient to the Negroni formulation, so we couldn’t make a proper Negroni sour like Martin had accomplished the year prior. We convinced ourselves that the sweet vermouth would add the necessary sweetness while the grapefruit notes from the Campari along with the added oils from the orange would stand-in for the citrus component of a standard sour. The result was an unbalanced drink that looked pretty and had nice mouth-feel. Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone and try things, even if you think it might not work. You never know when you’ll discover a diamond in the rough.

• 1.0 oz Gin (we used Martin Miller)
• 1.0 oz Campari
• 1.0 oz Sweet Vermouth (we used Carpano Antica)
• 1 Egg White
• Garnish: Orange peel
• Preparation: Add all ingredients to a shaker tin, then cap and shake without ice to fully incorporate the egg (“dry shake”). Add ice and shake again to chill. Strain out the ice and dry-shake once more to re-froth the egg (this is a technique our bartender learned while on a tour of different bars in Japan). Pour into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Express the oils of the orange over the top, then discard the orange peel.