The Classic Negroni Cocktail is a refreshingly bittersweet drink with strong hints of citrus and herby undertones. The perfect all-season drink, and so easy to make with just three ingredients! Equal parts Campari, gin, and vermouth.
I love a good cocktail, and one of my favorite drinks of all time is the classic Negroni. It's one of the most classic cocktails around and is super easy to make. Because my Dad was a history teacher and I'm, in turn, a bit of a history nerd, I'm sharing some of the history behind this classic 3-ingredient cocktail below. (But, if you'd rather skip all of that and jump straight to the recipe, please do so.)
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What Is a Negroni?
If you’re not familiar with this classic Italian cocktail, you’re in for a treat. The Negroni has been around for eons, and while the history of how it came about is a bit uncertain, one thing is clear - it’s a worldwide favorite cocktail for many. Here’s why this classic Negroni recipe is so popular:
- Super easy. The negroni drink is a refreshingly sweet, but bitter drink made of gin, Campari, and sweet red vermouth. Its three-part ingredients make it a cinch to remember when you’re on the hunt for an easy batch cocktail. Topped with an orange garnish, it's the perfect drink and one of the easiest cocktails to make (especially for home bartenders).
- Gorgeous. The negroni’s bright ruby red color makes it feel glamorous and sophisticated.
- One of the world's most iconic cocktails. It’s a classic Italian cocktail - you can feel proud of yourself that you’re drinking something that’s on trend, but that also holds a solid place in history
- Delicious. The Negroni drink is not too sweet and has a touch of herbiness thanks to the addition of Campari.
- The ultimate aperitif. It’s thought that Negronis were originally developed as a classic Italian aperitif, which makes sense. The bitters in Campari are thought to enhance digestion, making it a great pre-dinner drink.
Negroni History
This may not appeal to everyone, but it's a fun story to whip out at a cocktail party, especially if you're a negroni lover.
Legend has it that the first Negroni was originally invented by an Italian Count in Florence in 1919. The count's name was Count Camillo Negroni, and the story goes that he asked his bartender to make his favorite drink (the Americano) stronger by adding gin to it. The drink then became wildly popular and the Counts' family established a distillery, where they produced a version of the classic drink called the "Antico Negroni".
There are some disputes to this story, with some claiming that the Negroni was actually created by a French Count who developed the drink as a digestive aid for his wife. It was said to have then become a huge hit in Paris among the Count's fellow officers.
Whichever story is true, I'm just glad someone came up with this brilliant cocktail.
Classic Negroni Ingredients
Besides their delicious taste, I love a Negroni for its simplicity and minimal ingredients. This classic drink needs only 3 spirits in equal parts:
- Gin. You’ll want to use a dry gin for negronis. The quality of the gin is important, but overall, the gin is overshadowed by the Campari and vermouth in this recipe. In other words, don’t skimp and buy bottom-of-the-barrel gin, but don’t feel like you have to go super high-end either. Just buy the best gin that you can afford and your Negroni will be great.
- Campari. Campari is a bitter liquor that has a famously top-secret family recipe. While no one really knows what’s in it, it has a fairly bitter taste with notes of herbs and citrus. It’s a beautiful ruby red in color - perfect for a punchy summer party or a classic holiday soiree.
Campari is somewhat of an acquired taste, with its intensely bitter taste and undercurrents of herbs. In fact, some people think Campari doesn't start to taste good until the third time you drink it.
There are dozens of Campari cocktails out there, including the Campari spritz, the siesta, the Americano cocktail, and of course, the Negroni. - Sweet Vermouth
You’ll want to look for red sweet vermouth here vs dry vermouth. Sweet vermouth has a mildly sweet flavor with a hint of spice and really helps to balance the herby bitterness of Campari found in a Negroni.
How To Make The Perfect Classic Negroni Cocktail
The simplicity of making a Negroni may be one of the best things about it. Using only three ingredients, all in equal parts makes this an easy-to-remember cocktail. Here's how to make the best negroni recipe.
- Measure and mix. Start by mixing equal parts of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari in a large mixing glass.
- Give it a good stir. Using a spoon, gently stir the ingredients together. This is important! It’s not recommended to shake a negroni in a mixer with ice, as the ice will dilute the drink.
- Pour over ice. Add ice to a glass, and pour the mixed negroni into the ice-filled rocks glass. (Note - if you’re making a large batch of this cocktail, be sure to give it another stir after you add it to the individual glasses to ensure it’s well mixed.)
- Garnish. Garnish the glasses with an orange twist (just use a vegetable peeler to shave off a slice of orange peel) or an orange slice to bring out the citrus notes in the Campari.
Now you have the perfect cocktail to serve during happy hour, or anytime you want a refreshing drink!
Variations
Over the years, many variations of the classic recipe for Negroni have cropped up, and it turns out it's actually a very versatile cocktail. Most of these involve swapping out the gin for another ingredient. Below are a few of the most popular Negroni variations:
- Boulevardier - replace the 1 oz of gin with 1 ½ oz bourbon whiskey
- Americano - swap the gin for soda water
- Mezcal Negroni - swap the gin for mezcal
- Negroni Sbagliato -swap the gin for prosecco
- White Negroni - swap the sweet vermouth for Lilet Blanc and Campari for Suze.
When and how to serve a Negroni
The Negroni is an all-season cocktail, given its citrusy refreshing taste which goes great in the summer, and its bitter herby notes that are warming in the winter. I prefer drinking Negroni’s in the winter months, due to its intense bitter notes and its festive bright red color. But it's a great drink for any cocktail hour, happy hour, or as an aperitif.
Negronis are best served cold and the most common way to serve them is over ice in a rocks glass. Because the drink tends to mellow out a bit as the ice dilutes it, it's best to use a large cube of ice so that the ice doesn't melt too quickly. You can also get a little fancier and serve it straight up in a pretty coupe glass. (Although if you go this route, be sure to stir it with ice before pouring it so that it's nice and cold.
Negroni’s are also a great cocktail to make when you need a large batch for a party. Just make sure to give it a good stir before pouring it over ice.
Because it’s well-known as an aperitif, it’s a great pre-dinner drink and goes great with some munchy appetizers. The Negroni is a great cocktail to serve at the start of a dinner party and is actually great for a party since its simple ingredients and equal parts make it easy to batch. Just be sure to stir the drink again once poured into individual glasses over ice.
(Looking for more great drinks? Try this delicious blood orange martini, or this cranberry orange whiskey sour!)
FAQs
The negroni has quite an intense flavor. It has a strong citrusy orange taste with a hint of herbs and hints of grapefruit and juniper. It has a bitter edge to it, although the sweet vermouth helps to balance this out a bit.
Negroni’s have a strong alcohol level, clocking in at 24% ABV. These are a great aperitif to have before dinner, or as a nightcap, but be sure to enjoy them with some snacks!
While gin is fine to store in your liqueur cabinet, any aperitif liqueur, including sweet vermouth and Campari belongs in the fridge.
Sweet vermouth will last for about 2 months in the fridge while Campari should last for a full 12 months refrigerated.
The classic Negroni drink should be stirred, NOT shaken, then poured over ice. Shaking the drink in ice will dilute the flavor.
You can! Just be sure to stir the individual drink once you pour it over ice to ensure the ingredients are well combined. (PS - need another idea for a simple party drink? This lemon lime simple syrup can be made in batches and added to all sorts drinks to give them a delicious zing!)
If you try this recipe for Negronis, please let me know what you think in the comments below. I'd love to hear all the ways you're serving it up! And don't forget to tag me @frontrangefed on Instagram so I can see your masterpiece!
Serving up Negroni's? Try one of these snacks to go with it!
- Easy Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer With Honey
- Jalapeno Cheddar Popcorn
- Quick And Easy Homemade Yukon Gold Potato Chips
- Cheddar Cheese Straws Recipe
- Spicy Caramel Popcorn
- Maple Roasted Walnuts
- Roasted Garlic With Rosemary Parmesan Bread
- Pear And Cheddar Hand Pies
- 5-Minute Pineapple Salsa And Tortilla Chips
Recipe
How To Make A Negroni
Ingredients
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- orange peel or orange slice
- ice
Instructions
- Start by mixing equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari in a large mixing glass.
- Using a spoon, gently stir the ingredients together. This is important! It’s not recommended to shake a negroni in a mixer with ice, as the ice will dilute the drink.
- Add ice to a glass, and pour the mixed negroni into the glass. (Note - if you’re making a large batch of this cocktail, be sure to give it another stir after you add it to the individual glasses to ensure it’s well mixed.)
- Garnish the glasses with an orange peel or a slice of orange to bring out the citrus notes in the campari.
- Serve immediately, or store the mixed negroni in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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