Name: Negroni
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 30 ml Campari, or bitter liqueur of your choice; 30 ml sweet (rosso) vermouth; 50 ml gin; 1 orange wedge or peel, to garnish (see note)

Stanley Tucci made the Negroni the must-drink cocktail of lockdown 2020, thank to his YouTube masterclass guiding viewers on how to make the classic Italian cocktail. But the ruby red drink has been a crowd-pleaser for more than a century.

According to some, the Italian apéritif was originally fashioned in 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni asked a local Florentine bartender to strengthen his Americano – traditionally vermouth, Campari and soda – with gin.

Since then, the stiff, herbaceous drink has gained a reputation for being dangerously powerful on an empty stomach. Yet, with its delightful orange twist, it’s an after-dinner digestif as much as an apéritif, too. As the late Anthony Bourdain once said: “It sets you up for dinner, in a way it makes you hungry, sands the edges off the afternoon. After dinner, it’s settling. It’s a rare drink that can do that.”

Variations include the White Negroni, featuring gin, Lillet Blanc and suze; the Negroni Sbagliato, which substitutes gin with sparkling wine or prosecco; and the Tegroni, which sees tequila added to the mix.

Although Campari is the traditional choice for a classic Negroni, we like to give this drink an Australian twist with native botanical liqueurs.

Three liqueurs to try in your Negroni

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ADELAIDE HILLS Bitter Orange Aperitif

This floral, orange bitter mixes Australian and European botanicals to create a fragrant blend that’s suited to a Negroni.

$59 for 700ml, vintagecellars.com.au

APPLEWOOD DISTILLERY Okar Island Bitter

Forged from native riberries, Davidson plum and strawberry gum leaf, this rounded Amaro spirit is both fruity and bitter.

$55 for 750ml, applewooddistillery.com.au

POOR TOMS Imbroglio Amaro

The product of 25 “outrageous” fruits and herbs, Imbroglio delivers a bold and aromatic flavour.

$45 for 500ml, poortoms.com and danmurphys.com.au

Ingredients

30 ml Campari, or bitter liqueur of your choice

30 ml sweet (rosso) vermouth

50 ml gin

1 orange wedge or peel, to garnish (see note)

Method

1.Add the Campari, vermouth and gin to a large tumbler half-filled with ice cubes, and stir to combine. Garnish with orange wedge and serve. (To make a big batch of Negroni, combine the alcohol in a jug, refrigerate until needed, then add ice and garnish just before serving.)

For extra points, rub the orange peel around the rim of the glass, then squeeze the peel across an open flame to release a burst of flamed oil across the surface of the drink.
Notes

Profile Georgie Meredith

Styling by Lauren de Sousa

Three liqueurs to try in your Negroni

Ingredients

Method

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