Day 3, 30 for 30- The Negroni

The Negroni.. Another Gin based classic that Ive grown to love. Best Negroni Ive had was at Death and Company in The East Village in NYC(Shout's out to my main man Jason Littrell and Lane for a great evening of classics).

Funny as I was researching this great drink, the origins are pretty hard to come by. But I found that this cocktail was invented in Florence, Italy allll the way back in 1919. Supposedly the Count at the time, Camillo Negroni, invented it by asking the Bartender to spice up his drink, the Americano, by adding Gin instead of Soda water. Then the bartender went into his creative juices and added a orange slice instead of the normal Lemon to show that its a different cocktail.

After the initial creation, and subsequent success of the drink, the Negroni family founded and opened the Negroni Distillery in Treviso Italy in 1919 and produced a ready made version of the drink sold as the Antico Negroni.

So here's the proper way to make a negroni..

Negroni
1oz Gin
1oz Sweet Vermouth
1oz Campari
Garnish with an Orange Slice
Pour gin, vermouth, and Campari into a chilled Old Fashioned glass over ice; garnish with a slice of orange.


For a longer drink, add Soda water or Shake and strain it into a Cocktail Glass.
 
My personal view of this drink...Well I think most cocktail experts would say that this drink should be stirred, not built or shaken, whether served on the rocks or up in a cocktail glass. That said, I prefer it on the rocks because you get to enjoy the evolving flavors as the ice melts, and the drink stays ice cold.
 
The Negroni is a great before dinner drink and definitely one you should try out ASAP. A little bitter but if you want a drink that's classic and a different taste than the norm, this is the one for you!
 
Until next time
Mr.Mixologist