Order a negroni

A few weeks ago, the Dig (a free paper that's about 50% food/drink advice and 50% kvetching about public transportation in Boston) ran a piece about the most overlooked of my favorite cocktails, the negroni:

History dates this combination to the early 1860s in Florence, where Gaspare Campari, the creator of the eponymous aperitif, had a very fashionable bar and wanted customers to taste his bitter concoction of herbs, spices, bark and fruit peels. During Prohibition, the Italians noticed that their alcohol-deprived American visitors favored this drink, and, delivering a backhanded compliment, they dubbed it the Americano. Before the stateside visitors arrived, however, in the early 1900s, Camillo Negroni-a late harvest Italian count and a frequent imbiber at Campari's bar-wanted to get a boost from the usual cocktail of the house, so he asked the bartender to add gin and skip the soda water.

The article supplies a modified recipe, downplaying the vermouth, which is cool, but the original proportions—equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari—are much easier to convey to a bewildered bartender over the din of the Enormous Room.

To make it even easier, here's the recipe, formatted a business-card style (see above; download a PDF to print a sheet of 12). I did that during commercial breaks while watching the Daily Show and I take no responsibility for it whatsoever. It's an acquired taste, or colloquially, something I like that you probably won't.

(Photograph from the official Campari site's recipe.)

Comments

[brady]

The Negroni is a king among drinks --In fact I believe I got Christine to start drinking thanks to these fellas (it was either that or my rye-based Negroni variation the Red Harvest; eithther way, really...)

Also, I've never met anyone who liked Negronis who sucked. That's not to say you suck if you don't like it, but I've never met anyone who liked the drink who was a raging asshole (as opposed to say Martinis, which are also awesome, but pricks abound in those circles)

[Nick]

Besides, Campari looks so well in a cut-glass tumbler.

[meg]

dry vermouth! dry vermouth! good excuse for a side by side taste test. and a slice of (squeezed slightly) orange softens the overall bitter/herbal thing, but it is still delightfully bitter/herbal.

campari = the rhubarb of apertifs.

[R.]

It's true: I don't know anyone shitty who likes them; although in fairness that's pretty much me, Christine, Brady, and my roommate, that I can think of offhand. I'm kind of glad no one knows what it is, as otherwise you'd get the Martini (and probably Manhattan to a lesser degree) syndrome, where people just order it to be pretentious and knowledgeable rather than because they like it. (At least specify your gin, dudes.) This dry-vermouth option is intriguing; I'm certain I'd enjoy the reduced-vermouth version. The Bitter Campari clown has entwined my heart in his coil of orange peel.

[R.]

Also, Brady: I sometimes drink just half Campari and half vodka, and maybe a good name for that would be the In Soviet Russia.

[brady]

no my friend, that should be called "The Baroness" vodka for the eastern europe, campari for the COBRA (ie it's red) optional garnish: a pair of black glasses

[unsinn]

That works perfectly for me, as I have a Baroness costume. Also negronis=AWEXOME.

[unsinn]

p.s. IN SOVIET RUSSIA, NEGRONI DRINKS YOU

[R.]

The Laibach: 2 oz. vodka, garnished with a carpentry nail. Only God can subdue the Laibach; people and things never can.

[Frank]

I have been drinking negronis since 1958 first at DaVinci restauant in Philadelphia, then around the world. In bad weather the best cure for bronchitis is at least 2 Negronis, garlic bread(lots of fresh chopped garlic) and ministrone soup with lots of parmigiano cheese. Follow with 1 more Negroni and bed rest.
I also have modified the recipe to modern tastes: 1/2 part sweet vermouth / 3/4 part Campari / 1 part gin. orange slice, straight up, San Pelligrino on the side. As my friend Walter would say upon entering the third edition bar in Georgetown in the 80's, "Negronis for my friends." You are right when you say Negroni people are great. Most asshohes sneer at them. I hope I make it to 2008 so I can claim to 60 years of Negronis.

[unsinn]

Frank, you are my #1 hero. Seriously.

[Kit]

I wonder if Frank made it.