The secret to the perfect Negroni
Simone Sanna, bartender at Bar 1806 Melbourne, demostrates how to construct this classic Italian cocktail.
No cocktail in the modern era has captured the imagination of the bar community quite like the Campari Negroni.
The universal embrace of the cocktail was underlined during the recent Negroni Week, a global fundraising initiative owned by Imbibe USA magazine.
An unprecedented 300-plus Australian venues partook in Negroni Week this year, curating Negroni celebrations, degustations and myriad other events in its honour.
Quite rightfully, the classic recipe was the hero of Negroni Week. It's a formulation that is hard to go past: Sweet with a bitter edge, strong but wholly drinkable; the mix of Campari, gin and sweet red vermouth is a menu staple for any good bar.
It was invented in 1919 by Count Negroni – who asked to add a touch of gin rather than soda to his Americano, in honour of his last trip to London.
You can add pretty much any flavour you can imagine to it, and it will take to it quite well.
Daniel Lemura
While you shouldn't mess too much with perfection, today Australia is blessed with skilled mixologists who are more than able to put their own riff on the Count's famous recipe.
Perfection in simplicity
Signature Negronis employing innovative production processes, recipe twists and additions were on show in bars across the country during Negroni Week.
According to Daniel Lemura, owner of Melbourne bar The Noble Experiment, there are various factors that lend the Negroni to experimentation.
"It's such a simple cocktail: 30/30/30 are the typical measurements for a Negroni, and you stir down and you're ready to go. It's not a complicated thing to put together," he says.
"It's not something you can screw up, but it's something you can have a lot of fun with manipulating.
"The Negroni seems to take new flavours really well. Chocolate and orange go together really well and you can add different Australian spices and herbs, as well as liqueurs.
"You can add pretty much any flavour you can imagine to it, and it will take to it quite well.
It just seems like a very versatile drink to play with."
Core flavours
Campari is the most quintessential and non-substitutable ingredient in a Negroni, due to its unique invigorating bitter taste, captivating red colour and superior quality.
But Lemura said bartenders today are spoilt for choice with gins and vermouths of contrasting flavour profiles, allowing subtle tweaks to the base recipe that will accommodate flavour additions.
"You can modify the vermouth to fit. You've got such a variety of gins to work with, you've already got that blank canvas to be able to work through any sort of flavour profile you like," he said.
There is no Negroni without Campari. Here are some other twists on the cocktail to look out for.
1. Barrel-aged beauty
Experimentation with ageing Negronis is becoming increasingly popular, with some unusual vessels finding favour with bartenders abroad.
Currently trending are Negronis rested in clay pots, an ancient technique whereby the porous clay extracts impurities and sugar, resulting in a lighter-bodied cocktail.
Leather-aged versions have also emerged, taking inspiration from the ancient practice of transporting liquids in leather vessels.
Barrel-ageing is the most common in Australia however, and The Noble Experiment is one of the leading practitioners.
The Collingwood bar ages vermouth in both barrels both new and used, contributing added complexity to the Negroni.
"We started doing it four years ago, and it was just really really fun," said owner Daniel Lemura.
"We just kept going and we never stopped doing different experiments. We found that we could do a lot of really interesting stuff with barrel ageing that kept it new and exciting.
"We sell about 200 barrel-aged cocktails every weekend. It makes up a good 40 per cent of the cocktails we do."
The Standard Perth has another twist on the barrel-aged Negroni, seasoning the barrel with spiced mead to import a velvety mouthfeel and honey and spice undertones.
2. Coffee Negroni
Several Australian venues offer coffee Negronis, which can be created using various methods.
Under the cold drip method, a batch of Negroni is left to drip through ground coffee overnight, before being bottled up and served to order.
An alternative version of the cocktail, as practised by The Noble Experiment, involves creating rich coffee ice cubes that melt down into the cocktail as it is being consumed.
3. Champagne Negroni
Located right on the Brisbane River, Riverbar & Kitchen is one of the city's most popular waterfront venues.
It is renowned for its inventive cocktails, and has a unique spin on the Negroni that gives you another reason to visit.
The signature Champagne Negroni from Riverbar features Campari, sweet vermouth and gin, with the addition of prosecco adding a light sparkle.
4. Spiced rum Negroni
The Negroni has birthed many a love child, including this offshoot from Sydney's Bowery Lane.
The spiced rum Negroni was the result of experimentation with the traditional recipe to find the best balance between the sweetness of spiced rum (in place of gin) and the bitterness of Campari.
The resulting cocktail is sweet at the front of the palate with notes of chocolate, coffee and vanilla counterbalanced with a full bitter length, compliments of the Campari, to finish with pops of orange.
5. Pineapple, hopped and lavender Negroni
Perth has emerged as a hotbed of Negroni creativity, with Dominion League among the bars offering signature versions.
Its Pineapple Negroni features Dominion's own pineapple-infused Campari with gin and rosso vermouth.
Meanwhile, Caboose Beer Bar has seasoned its Negroni with several different hop varieties, bringing tropical notes and citrus flair into the bargain.
At Clarences Bar, locally sourced lavender from the Mount Lawley area brings fresh and floral lift to the traditional Negroni.
There's a Negroni for every occasion, and drinkers are responding with glee, if the recent Negroni Week celebrations are any indicator. But while everyone likes to stray from the classic formulation once in awhile, remember the Golden Rule: There is no Negroni without Campari.
This article was brought to you by Campari.