The Negroni is, quite simply, a perfect cocktail. Maybe it’s the perfect cocktail. In fact, it is the most popular gin cocktail in the world so you could say it is perfectly popular.
How did this perfectly popular cocktail come about?
Legend has it that it was first mixed in Florence in 1919 when General Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni was sitting at a bar sipping an Americano and asked the bartender to strengthen it for him by adding a splash of gin. What a clever man General Negroni was!
It fast became a hit with the locals but news slowly started spreading about it. Very slowly, that is. So slow in fact that it wasn’t until 1947 that it was first reported on, by Orson Wells. At the time he was living in Rome and working with a local newspaper and reported that “The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other.” This surely has to be one of the best gin quotes!
Traditionally the Negroni is served before a meal in order to stimulate the appetite, but those who love this bitter sweet cocktail know that it is versatile enough to be enjoyed at any time.
In recent years the Negroni has enjoyed a surge in popularity. Possibly riding the coat tails of the sharp rise in appreciation of our beloved gin, but well deserving of it’s popularity anyway.
If all this talk about Negroni has you thirsting for one then now is a good time to learn how to make the perfect one for you and impress your friends as well.
How to make the perfect Negroni
First up, you need to select the right glass to hold the notable Negroni. You want to be true to it’s form so it needs to be served in an Old Fashioned glass. Simply put this glass is short with straight sides making it the perfect vessel for this simple drink.
Ice is the first ingredient that goes into this glass and you are best using an ice ball or the biggest ice cubes you can find. The bigger the ice the better as it melts a lot slower than small ice cubes. The last thing you want is melted ice watering down your perfectly made Negroni.
Now it’s ingredient time!
To make a Negroni you need a good dry gin, bitter orange aperitivo and sweet vermouth.
As we are advocates of the Australian craft spirits industry so we recommend a good Aussie craft gin, such as St Felix Bitter Citrus Aperitivo and Regal Rogue Big Red Vermouth.
Pop some ice in a mixing glass and pour in equal parts dry gin, bitter citrus and sweet vermouth. Give it a good stir then strain into your glass.
Garnish with an orange twist or one of our dried orange wheels.
Cheers!