The unanimous winner of our blind Negroni tasting felt like it satisfied both roles of the modern Negroni—ideal for a pre-dinner drink or as a stand-alone cocktail. With an ounce of the botanical spirit paired with three quarters of an ounce each of Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and Campari, the recipe is gin-forward on paper. But the gin of choice, Sipsmith London Dry, was deliberately selected in part for its ABV—which at 41.6 percent is slightly above than the standard 40 percent—but without the boozy bite of something higher. A spritz of lemon oil over the surface of the drink offered the desired aromatics while half an orange wheel inserted in the glass nodded to the way the drink is commonly served in Italy. The result was an exceptionally balanced cocktail, each element detectable in appropriate measure. It’s a Negroni that can do it all.
Anthony Schmidt’s Negroni
Anthony Schmidt | San Diego
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce Sipsmith London Dry Gin (or another slightly lower-ABV gin, like Plymouth)
- 3/4 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
- 3/4 ounce Campari
Garnish: lemon twist discarded, half an orange wheel
Directions
- Fill a mixing glass with lots of fresh cracked or cube ice.
- Add the ingredients and set aside without stirring or agitating.
- While the drink waits, prepare a large ice cube for the rocks glass by removing just enough of the bottom four corners to fit snugly in the glass. If using cube ice, simply add the ice fresh from the freezer into the rocks glass.
- Return to the mixing glass and stir several times.
- Taste to ensure the temperature has dropped sufficiently and the drink has diluted (you're attempting to get just over a 1/2 ounce of dilution from the ice).
- From roughly 8 to 12 inches away, express the lemon twist over the surface of the drink. Finish the garnish with half an orange wheel on the side of the glass.