FROM BEHIND THE BAR: THE NEGRONI, A CLASSICALLY MODERN COCKTAIL

ASIA PACIFIC, 13 SEPTEMBER – The lure of a Negroni is its completeness, providing an explosion of flavours while maintaining balance, along with its signature bright red hue. Not just a fantastic way to start a meal, it also works as a nightcap or on its own, and modern variations create myriad Negroni-appropriate occasions. It is at once herbaceous, sweet, strong, and ― perhaps most notably ― bitter. Its straightforward recipe of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and red bitter belies the complexity of each individual ingredient and its ability to be modernised and customised. In fact, it is among the most interpreted cocktails of our time.

Since the cocktail’s inception in 1919, Negronis have easily made their way into the canon of classic cocktails, enjoyed worldwide. Ryan McLeod, Co-Founder of Peddlers, recognizes the transportive power of the cocktail, as a “refreshing alcohol-forward beverage with flavours that remind you of Italy.”

Itself a variation, the Negroni is said to have come about in Florence as a riff of the Americano (which was a lengthened variation of yet another cocktail, the Milano-Torino, equal parts bitter and sweet vermouth). In search of a stronger sip than the Americano provided, the soda water was swapped out for a matching equal part of gin and a new classic was born. But as with most cocktail origin stories, there may be some fuzziness to the facts.

“Historically it’s not been proved that this drink was born on equal parts. Indeed, it’s much likely that the vermouth or/and the bitter parts were higher than the gin part. That being said, it’s always interesting to try new variations, and nobody needs to always follow a certain rule: creativity is limitless.” Grazia Di Franco, Mancino Vermouth Brand Ambassador explains.

With the availability of new spirits, the global ability to share information in an instant, and the rise of cocktail culture, the bar and spirits worlds are always evolving, changing, and creating new spin-offs to classic cocktails. In particular, the gin and Amari categories have exploded in the past several years, with brands from craft to corporate all creating their specific signatures, bending and expanding the previously established limits of each category.

For those seeking to create their own signature Negroni; classic or a spin-off, consider the base first – be it traditional gin or a variation with an aged spirit, agave, or something else entirely. From there, the bitter should complement; perhaps it’s from the same region as the base or employs similar botanicals or production methods. One of the most prevalent adjustments seen includes amping up the gin portion and reducing the bitter pour, to cut some sweetness and add a bigger botanical punch. Another option, using aged spirits as the base, is so common that the bourbon version of a Negroni has its own name, a Boulevardier. Trading the vermouth and bitter for modern versions is a great way to add local or custom flair to a signature Negroni.

Our industry experts have a few more suggestions to get started:

The beauty of the Negroni lies in its ability to be executed by anyone. Infinitely customisable, adaptations can come about in a number of ways: the portions adjusted, the base spirit swapped, the vermouth and bitter components updated. At a certain point, cocktails leave the world of being a version of a Negroni to what can best be described as “Negroni-inspired”. While the ability to try new variations and spin-offs is vast, for many people it becomes apparent that a true classic often lay within the 1:1:1 equal parts ratio.

Luke Sanderson from True Believers mentioned “Many view a Negroni as almost a cocktail category unto itself, like the Martini and its many variations. But a Negroni will always be the triple threat of gin, vermouth and bitter.”

Di Franco concurs; “You can play with the ratio, swap the gin with a rum, adding a touch of liqueur or other ingredients, but when the recipe goes too far from the original, you’re just creating a new drink that has nothing to do with a Negroni. And garnish-wise, citrus is always preferred.”