Skip to content

Negroni

The Negroni is becoming increasingly popular due to the current gin hype. Yet the drink is not for the faint-hearted: the Negroni cocktail consists of three different spirits and tastes rather tart and strong. When a perfect balance is achieved between the ingredients, the Negroni recipe is considered one of the best cocktails of all in bartending circles. With our recipe, you can achieve exactly this balance. Get to know it now and prepare the drink!

Negroni Cocktail Recipe

  • 3 cl gin
  • 3 cl bitter aperitif (Campari)
  • 3 cl Vermouth

Step by Step Guide

  1. Stir all ingredients together with ice in a mixing glass.
  2. Fill tumbler with ice and add mix.
  3. Grain and serve.
negroni cocktail
tim-barkeeper-nation
Recipe by Tim

Cosmopolitan

First, you should fill a tumbler with ice. This will allow the glass to chill pleasantly. Then put all the ingredients with ice into a mixing glass and stir well with a bar spoon for about 20 to 25 seconds. After you have removed the ice from the tumbler and filled it with fresh ice, you can strain the drink through a bar strainer into the tumbler. Before serving, brush an orange zest on the rim of the glass and then add it to the drink. Then serve and enjoy.

Bar Accessories:

  • Tumbler
  • Stirring glass
  • Ice cubes

What does a Negroni taste like?

4.8/5

47 Reviews

The Negroni tastes tart, fresh, slightly bitter and sour. If you are looking for a sweet cocktail, you should rather prepare another cocktail and not the Negroni. The Campari creates a bitter-sweet-sour-citrus note, the Vermouth brings an edgy nature to the drink. However, if you prefer more tart drinks or want to try something new, you should definitely try the Negroni. The mix is considered a drink to be enjoyed after a hard (Italian) day at work and is meant to stimulate the appetite. For the “real” taste experience, you should not touch the classic version, but you can try different variations: For example, with different vermouth variations or different gin variations.

The Negroni cocktail consists of three different alcoholic ingredients. This makes the drink rather alcoholic and tart in taste. The sweet, fruity notes are more in the background in the gin cocktail. Despite the high alcohol content, the cocktail is not overly strong, like a Mai Tai, but rather pleasantly harmonious.

Tips

Dry and Sweet Vermouth

Try the cocktail once with Dry and once with Sweet Vermouth. The sugar content can make the cocktail taste completely different and perhaps even much better. Just try it out!

Not so strong today, please

No problem, just prepare an Americano. The Americano is the predecessor of the Negroni. In this drink, the gin is replaced by soda water. This gives you a bitter-tart cocktail that is not quite as alcoholic.

Fresh oranges

Before serving, the drink is grained with an orange zest. Make sure to use fresh and preferably organically mined oranges. Otherwise the drink could taste unnatural and unpleasantly bitter.

Large groups of people

You can also serve the Negroni excellently to large groups of people (at celebrations or parties). All ingredients are used in the same quantity. Therefore, you can simply put a 0.7 litre bottle of each spirit into a large container, mix the ingredients together and then serve it as a kind of punch.

History of the Negroni

Negroni was first prepared in Florence in a café called Caffè Casoni. The name is derived from the “inventor” of the drink: Count Camillo Negroni. This count ordered an Americano for the first time in 1919, which was to be refined with gin. He wanted the drink to taste stronger and more intense than the Americano. That’s why he also dispensed with the soda water in the Americano. After the first preparation, Count Camillo was so impressed that he ordered the drink again and again and drank vast quantities of it. For this reason, the drink was later named after him.

Two classics with Italian ingredients

The Negroni and Americano use combinations of Italian ingredients. The Americano is a fresh drink, with bitter and sweet ingredients. When this drink is topped up with soda, it becomes the perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer afternoon. The well-known and elegant aperitif offers a very powerful kick. If you prefer a dry version, simply use London Dry Gin. You can get a fruitier version by rubbing the glass with a strip of orange before serving.

More Drink Recipes

More Drink Recipes

Negroni - FAQ

What is the difference with the Americano?

The two drinks are actually quite similar. However, the Americano is made with soda water instead of gin. This makes the Americano much milder and not as tart.

When can you drink the Negroni?

The cocktail is rather tart and relatively strong. Therefore, it can be enjoyed in high-class cocktail bars or during a pleasant evening by the fireplace. It is also a good drink for the dark and cold winter.

How do you prepare a Negroni?

The preparation of the Negroni cocktail is relatively simple. To make it, put the gin, vermouth and Campari in a mixing glass with ice cubes and stir the ingredients together well. Then strain into a tumbler and sprinkle with an orange juice. Then serve.

What is a Negroni?

A Negroni is a well-known gin cocktail that was originally invented in Italy. Due to the gin hype since the early 2000s, this cocktail is now one of the most popular drinks around.

Who invented the Negroni?

The cocktail is said to have been first ordered in 1919 in Florence in a café called Caffè Casoni by Count Camillo Negroni, when he wanted to enjoy an Americano fortified with gin.

I don't like gin, can I still drink a Negroni?

Not a “real” Negroni. This cocktail must be made with gin. However, you can try and enjoy a variation such as the Negrosky, Boulevardier or Americano.

What does the Negroni Cocktail taste like?

The Negroni Cocktail tastes relatively strong alcoholic and slightly fruity. The interplay of gin, vermouth and Campari makes for a special taste experience that other, mostly sweet cocktails cannot offer.

Can the drink also be prepared without alcohol?

No, it is not possible to prepare it without alcohol. A Negroni consists of three different alcoholic ingredients. Any non-alcoholic drink would taste significantly different from the tart alcoholic drink.