Classic Italian Negroni Cocktail
Any good Italian should be able to make a perfect Negroni cocktail. This popular Italian concoction is made with equal parts gin, Campari, and vermouth rosso (sweet vermouth), and garnished with an orange peel.
The exact origins of the classic cocktail are clouded in confusion and controversy, with the two most popular tales of its creation both involving a different “Count” named Negroni: either Count Camillo Negroni, or General Pascal Olivier de Negroni de Cardi, Comte de Negroni. One story has the drink being invented in Florence in 1919, the other in Senegal in the 1860s. Either way, by the 1950s the drink had become a popular staple (with Oak Park’s own Ernest Hemingway being a fan) as a more robust cousin of the Americano cocktail (a similar drink which substitutes club soda for the gin).
The key to a good Negroni
This classic Italian cocktail, like many popular cocktails, has gone through a variety of transformations but I prefer the traditional Negroni recipe: A one-to-one combination of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. The real star of the drink is the Campari, an apéritif which has been made in the Novare region of Italy since the mid 19th century. Back then it was originally colored with a dye derived from crushed cochineal insects; we’re happy to report they use a different method these days.
This classic Italian palate cleanser is best served cold and stirred, not shaken.
Negroni
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dry gin
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce vermouth rosso
- Orange peel garnish
Instructions
- Stir all of the liquid ingredients in a glass with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange twist.
