GET INTO THE SPIRIT
As cocktails go, the Negroni is as simple as they come. Stir down equal proportions of gin, Italian bitters and sweet red vermouth, then strain over ice. Garnish with a piece of orange rind, and away you go. Sometimes the simple things really are the best.
The Negroni was invented in 1919 by the French general Count Negroni, who famously asked a bartender to add a touch of gin rather than soda to his Americano, in honour of his last trip to London. It's an intensely aromatic cocktail, thanks to the botanicals present in all three spirit ingredients. The sweet, vinous character of the vermouth is balanced by the assertive bitterness of the Italian liqueur, with gin adding complexity and palate weight. In spite of its heady spirit content, it is eminently drinkable, and also looks damn fine in the glass.
Glowing red in hue, Negroni manages to be both sophisticated and simple at the same time. It's now celebrating being 103 years young.
