A negroni can be more than just gin, vermouth and Campari

THE negroni is a classic cocktail known for being big and boozy, now a new generation of bartenders are serving it up with their own twist.

A bartender serves up a Smoking Negroni at Howard’s Cantina, Erskineville. Picture: Supplied

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IT’S the big, boozy drink that’s never gone out of style and now there’s a whole week dedicated to it.

Negroni Week, from June 4-10, is a global event where bars donate $1 from every drink sold to charity.

“It’s just a really great way to celebrate a very classic cocktail,” says Michael Chiem, director of CBD cocktail bar PS40.

“It’s quintessentially the drink you drink before a really nice meal. It’s an aperitif. The bitter element stimulates the appetite and makes you salivate.”

A balance of sweet and bitter, the negroni is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth stirred and served over ice. It’s simple enough that you can make it at home, so when heading out drinkers want something more.

“We have a particular way of how we make them,” Michael says.

“We don’t change the ratio but we make sure the vermouth is really fresh, because it’s a sweet drink made mostly from wine whereas gin and Campari are shelf-life friendly.

“We also focus on the quality of the ice and temperature of the glassware.”

The kind of gin used varies from bar to bar and negronis are so fetishised that Four Pillars created a Spiced Negroni Gin, a spirit blended with blood oranges and spices for extra oomph to cut through the Campari and vermouth.

“Someone who orders a negroni likes their booze,” Michael says.

“It’s a pretty strong drink, along the same lines as an old fashioned — very boozy, very forward and very complex.”

Grapefruit negroni at Isaac restaurant, Redfern.

GRAPEFRUIT NEGRONI

Isaac Restaurant at Redfern uses Pampelle, a ruby red grapefruit aperitif, mixed with Beefeater gin, vermouth bianco and lemon bitters.

TEA NEGRONI
The Clock Hotel, Surry Hills, is turning its Whisky Room into a Negroni Bar from tomorrow until June 10, with 40 gins on offer and 10 negronis on the menu. The tea version has Four Pillars gin, Earl Grey tea, Campari, rosso vermouth and marmalade.

A bartender at Mode Kitchen & Bar serves up a Dusty Negroni.

DUSTY NEGRONI

Mode Kitchen & Bar in the CBD takes its time. A Spanish sherry is barrel-aged for three months to season the wood. It’s tipped out and replaced with a mix of Archie Rose dry gin, St-Germain and Campari which is aged another month for maximum flavour, all finished off with an orange garnish and mandarin dust.

Strawberry and balsamic negroni from Charlie Parker's.

STRAWBERRY AND BALSAMIC NEGRONI

Charlie Parker’s Paddington, mixes strawberry gum-infused pisco, Lillet Rose, Campari and a drop of saline solution, garnished with a balsamic vinegar powder.

NOUR HOUSE NEGRONI

A Middle Eastern twist has Tanqueray gin infused with Iranian barberries, Campari, Antica Formula Carpano vermouth and Nepas vermouth at Nour Restaurant in Surry Hills.

Negroni Bianco — Tanqueray Gin, Gran Classico Tempus Fugit Bitter, Oscar 697 — from Icebergs Dining Room and Bar.

NEGRONI BIANCO
Meaning “white” in Italian, this doesn’t have the traditional ruby red colour. At Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Bondi it’s a mix of Tanqueray gin, Oscar 697 and Tempus Fugit Gran Classico bitter rather than the traditional red-hued Campari.

SMOKING NEGRONI

Bartenders at Howard’s Cantina, Erskineville, soak apple wood chips in Grand Marnier for 14 days and smoke them in the same vessel that holds the mix of Archie Rose gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, giving it a rich, woody perfume.

A Roman Negroni at La Rosa in The Strand.

ROMAN NEGRONI

Artichokes are a staple of Roman cuisine, so Roman-themed restaurant La Rosa, The Strand, uses Cynar artichoke liquor, Punt e Mes Italian bitter vermouth and bay leaf-infused St Louis unrefined sugar syrup.

A Breakfast Negroni using Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin, bitters, vermouth, banana bread, tonka and coffee beans at PS40 in King St, CBD.

BREAKFAST NEGRONI
PS40 blends gin, bitters, vermouth with banana bread, coffee and tonka beans, vacuum seals it and sous vides it for five hours at 55C to infuse. It’s frozen for 36 hours, letting the oil and fats solidify so it can be strained off.

Gin Lane’s Popcorn Negroni.

POPCORN NEGRONI

Salted popcorn-washed gin, Regal Rogue Bold Red vermouth and smoked Campari is served with a side of smoked salt popcorn at Gin Lane, Chippendale.

’76 NEGRONI

What makes a negroni live up to its $130 price tag? The mix of 1976 Beefeater London dry gin, 1970s Campari and 1976 Cinzano Antica vermouth at Madame Shanghai in Darlinghurst.

Originally published as A negroni can be more than just gin, vermouth and Campari