A whisky-fied Negroni, the Blonde Redhead is two parts Italian (Carpano Antica sweet vermouth and barolo chinato) and one part Japanese (Yamazaki 12 year whisky)—just like the ’90s rock band it’s named for (a set of Italian twins and a Japanese singer-songwriter). Creator Douglas Derrick of Portland, OR replaced gin with Japanese whisky and Campari with barolo chinato to transform the classic formula into a digestif/late-evening riff. Served up in a coupe rimmed with Campari-infused orange peels, the drink is modeled after Japanese technique in which a single ice cube from its mixing glass is added to the cocktail to slowly melt with the drinker’s progression.
Blonde Redhead
Douglas Derrick, Raven & Rose | Portland, OR
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce Japanese whisky (preferably Yamazaki 12 year)
- 1 1/4 ounce sweet vermouth (preferably Carpano Antica)
- 1/2 ounce barolo chinato
Directions
- Rim a coupe glass with orange dust (see Editor's Note).
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass.
- Add ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into rimmed coupe glass and add one ice cube from mixing glass to the drink.
- Express and orange peel over top and discard.
Editor's Note
To make dehydrated orange dust, pour 2 ounces of Campari onto an scratch-proof, oven-proof plate. Peel the zest of 1 orange, avoiding pith. Put the orange peels on a sheet pan and place both Campari plate and oranges in a oven set to 200 degrees with the door cracked for 2 hours. After the plate cools, scrape the Campari off the plate. Place the Campari and orange peels in a clean spice grinder with 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar and blend. Store in a sealed container with a silica packet.