Photo: Sanny11 (Getty Images)
This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of one of the most iconic cocktails ever conceived. According to legend, the Negroni was invented by bartender Forsco Scarselli from Caffe Casoni in Florence, Italy in 1919. Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender to amp up his Americano (a cocktail that consists of Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda) by replacing the soda with gin.
While the Negroni is listed as a classic cocktail, it’s definitely not a drink for everyone. If you’re more of a fan of sweeter or more alcohol-driven cocktails, this combination of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth isn’t for you. The sweetness of the vermouth cuts the bitterness of the Campari and evens out the botanical quality of the gin.
“The Negroni is such an influential cocktail. Even though it is three equal parts, the number of possibilities to change this drink are endless. Creativity in such constraint,” says Megan Daniel from Whitechapel in San Francisco.
The cocktail is so popular that it gets its own week in June. But, instead of just one week, this is the year of Negroni. To celebrate this subtly bitter year, bartenders all over the country are creating their own riffs on the popular cocktail. Check out some of the best below.
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Negroni Riffs
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The Insanely Good Negroni
Ingredients:
1 ounce Brooklyn gin
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce watermelon-infused Dolin Blanc Vermouth
Directions:
Stir and serve over ice in a double rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Cocktail from Chaim Dauermann, beverage director of The Up & Up in New York
Photo: Matt Piacentini (Getty Images)
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Red Light Negroni
Ingredients:
1 ounce Bols Genever
1 ounce Galliano L’Aperitivo
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir well. Strain into the lightbulb decanter, serve it next to a rocks glass filled with ice and garnished with an orange twist.
Cocktail from Christiaan Rollich of Tavern in Los Angeles
Photo: Bols
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Mezcal Safecracker
Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces Bruxo Mezcal
1 ounce Campari
1/2 ounce Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
Directions:
Stir all ingredients together. Julep strain into double-rocks glass over a big rock. Grappa mist on top. Orange peel garnish.
Cocktail from Matt Piacentini, owner of Stay Gold in New York
Photo: Matt Piacentini
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The Szechuan Negroni
Ingredients:
1 ounce Shot Tower gin
1 ounce Baltamaro Vol 2: Szechuan
1 ounce Campari
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice, and stir. Strain over large rocks and garnish with an expressed lemon peel.
Cocktail from Max Lents, Baltimore Spirits Company
Photo: Justin Tsucalas (Getty Images)
