The secret to the perfect Negroni
Simone Sanna, bartender at Bar 1806 Melbourne, demostrates how to construct this classic Italian cocktail.
Once considered the dark horse on a cocktail list, the Campari Negroni has fast become the go-to drink for the modern man who might once have ordered himself a martini at the bar.
Where the martini aligns with a shaken and not stirred palette, the Negroni offers a dolce vita variation – a triple layered spirit that's high on velvety bitterness.
So how did this 20th century invention in Florence become so popular?
Robust tipple
After a tornado ripped through the US state of Oklahoma in 2013, the local bar community wanted to assist to rebuild their town and decided it could be done by donating a portion of the money form Negroni sold to a Tornado Relief Fund.
The cocktail's renaissance can be pinpointed to this time, with the introduction of Negroni Week thanks to Imbibe Magazine who teamed with Campari for the international initiative.
Since then the event has become a regular fixture in the cocktail calendar, being held from 5–11 June this year. Raising money for charities is still in essence what the week is about, with more than 300 venues across Australia participating every year.
Where martinis are served in delicate stemmed glasses, the Negroni is more robust – served on the rocks with a fresh slice of orange and large blocks of ice. Its cult-like status is also due to the fact we're obsessed with all things Italian – from the country's fine food to fashion and its classic aperitifs come with the territory of European cool.
Out with the Count
The drink was invented in 1919 by Count Camillo Negroni who asked his bartender on Via de' Tornabuoni [now a luxury fashion strip in Florence] to add a touch of gin rather than soda to his Americano. The drink was named in his honour and to this day nods to all things Florentine.
The Negroni is made up with equal parts Campari, red vermouth and gin finished with an orange slice and served on the rocks. There is no substitute for Campari in the Negroni – hence the in-demand cocktail shining a brighter spotlight on the Milan-born liquor brand.
According to award winning bartender and distiller at The Craft & Co Sebastian Reaburn, the Negroni continues to be adored for its big flavour and clean bitterness.
"Combined with sweet orange and botanicals the drink is really accessible," says Sebastian Reaburn.
"In Melbourne and Sydney, the Negroni has surpassed the Old Fashioned for the most elegant sipping cocktail on the rocks," he says.
Firm favourite
The team behind Melbourne's The Everleigh and Heartbreaker agree. The award-winning bars even bottle their own Negroni in a handy take-away bottle too.
The bar's owner Michael Madrusan says the Negroni is much more accessible than the martini and a popular choice at his bars.
"More people are embracing the Negroni," says Michael Madrusan.
"There's a whole canon of bittersweet aperitif drinks and the Negroni is a great starting point and definitely a firm Everleigh favourite," he says.
"It's also long been a 'bartender's handshake' cocktail and that trend is definitely spilling over into the world of the general drinking public. When choosing our flagship range of bottled cocktails we wanted to select four of the most important drinks in cocktail history and the Negroni was always going to make the top four. It is also our best selling bottled cocktail to date," says Madrusan.
Best of the best
Interior stylist and author Jason Grant has been drinking Negronis for the last 10 years and says St Kilda's Bar Di Stasio in Melbourne, Bondi's Iceberg's Dining Room in Sydney, Bar Marmont in LA and The Standard in New York serve the best ones.
Grant says the modern man is more likely to order a Negroni as his knock-off drink and it's the go-to drink for the style-conscious gent.
"The Negroni falls into being a classic cocktail and it says a lot about the man drinking it," says Jason Grant.
"I love mine with a side of green Sicilian olives it's the perfect after work aperitif," he says.
A gentleman's drink
Men's fashion and lifestyle influencer Lex Gumbatron has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram. He's an architect turned social media identity with a penchant for men's fashion, coffee and cocktails.
He says more men are embracing the Negroni because social media is helping document our obsession with it. The hashtag [#negroni] has attracted more than 200,000 mentions on Instagram so far.
"The growth and exposure of men's fashion in recent years has really opened up the conversation about all facets of the gentleman's lifestyle including beverage choices," says Lex Gumbatron.
"Traditionally the old-fashion reigned, but as the name might suggest, men have become more experimental and open to exploring other drinks. The Negroni with its bitterness stemming from Campari and herb sweetness is quite similar in structure to the old-fashioned yet more refreshing," he says.
Perfect harmony
In Florence, the cocktail is still ever so popular. The biannual men's fashion fair Pitti Uomo sees dandies worldwide congregate showing off their outfits as much as you can find them sitting with a Negroni at a bar. The two go hand in hand.
Where the martini woos Bond 007 wannabes, the Negroni taps into the European gentleman who is happier holding a tumbler. It seems gents are more interested in exploring cocktail lists than ever before and the Negronis comeback is in part due to bartenders pushing its cause globally.
According to Paul Beresford, head bartender at The Ugly Duckling in Richmond, mastering the Negroni is all about understanding balance.
"When you bring the bitter elements of the Campari with the subtle and rich sweetness from the vermouth as well as the power and driven dryness and aromatics from the gin you can achieve perfect harmony," says Paul Beresford.
The ultimate cocktail
"Is it a 'blokey' drink?" he asks. "Looking at the history of the Negroni, it certainly can be defined in these rough terms, being derived from the Americano highball through the substitution of soda for gin. If replacing the only non-alcoholic ingredient in a cocktail for a full-strength spirit isn't a traditionally masculine act in drinks mixing, I'm not sure what is," says Beresford.
He adds that from a bartender's perspective, they're a great drink to make and easy to do at home. "They showcase skill in terms of balance and are easy to adapt and recommend adaptations to taste," he says.
"The Negroni is by far the most-ordered off-list classic cocktail for most gents that come into the Ugly Duckling," says Beresford. "Everyone who even has the slightest interest in cocktails learns about the Negroni first."
To enjoy a perfect Negroni throughout Negroni Week this year, find your local participating venue here.
Campari will also be offering great advice on how to make the perfect Negroni.
This article was brought to you by Campari.