September 12-18 is the 10th annual Negroni Week. Negroni Week is a celebration of the Negroni - the classic cocktail with Campari at its heart - and a testament to the power of the hospitality industry to give back. Each year, bars and restaurants around the world dedicate the sales of their Negronis (or Negroni ingredients) to great causes. This year, Negroni Week is benefitting Slow Foods, a global organization committed to creating a world where everyone has access to good, clean, and fair food and beverage. You can learn more about Negroni Week and how you can participate at www.negroniweek.com. According to Drinks International, the Negroni became the best-selling classic cocktail in the world this year, surpassing the longstanding Old Fashioned. Not bad for a drink created over 100 years ago! Most people know the classic recipe, but many might not realize the Negroni has evolved from just one cocktail to a whole family of drinks featuring Italy’s iconic red aperitivo. Last year I looked at the Negroni Family Tree (check it out) and explored the evolution of the many permutations of this classic drink. What the Negroni does better than any other drink is adapt to the times in interesting and delicious ways. In honor of the 10th anniversary of Negroni Week, let’s look at the newest trends we’re seeing in our favorite equal-parts cocktail — a classic cocktail that’s always re-inventing itself.
Trend 1: Salt
Salt isn’t just for food. Salt is an often-used “secret ingredient” among cocktail makers. Salt blocks our bitter receptors, so adding a pinch to a Negroni allows drinkers to taste the other flavors of the drink. You can be creative with what kind of salt you use, including large crystal sea salts like Maldon, a homemade saline solution, or flavored salts like chili salt or chocolate salt. Use restraint; in most cases, you won’t want your cocktail to taste “salty,” but rather to let the small amount of salt empower the other ingredients to sing. If you’re salt-curious, you can make your own saline solution by adding 20 grams of sea salt into 80 grams of water in a jar or bottle. Seal, and shake to dissolve. Transfer to a dropper bottle for use. Classic Negroni (2022 version) • 1 part Campari • 1 part 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso • 1 part Bulldog Gin • 3 drops 4:1 Saline solution • 1 Orange peel (garnish) Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, stir, and strain over fresh ice in a double rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel. Spicy Mezcal Negroni • 1 part Campari • 1 part Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur Original • 1 part Montelobos Mezcal Espadin • Chili salt Wet a small section of glass with a lime and press into the chili salt. Do not line the entire rim of the glass. Add a large ice cube to the glass and set it aside. Combine drink ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, stir, and strain into the salted glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Trend 2: Negroni-Tropical
As people become more familiar with bitter flavors, they’re creatively integrating them into unexpected cocktail genres. For instance: Tropical Negronis. Tropical flavors like coconut, pineapple, and mango pair deliciously with Campari and work well in Negroni variations for a fun, playful, and fresh take on the classic. Pina-Colada Negroni • 1 part Pineapple infused Campari • 1 part Bianco Vermouth • 1 part Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum • 1 barspoon Coconut syrup • 1 Pineapple wheel (garnish) Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, stir, and strain over fresh ice in a double rocks glass. Garnish with a dried pineapple wheel. Mangogonegroni • 1 part Campari • 1 part Bianco Vermouth • 1 part Espolon Tequila • 1 barspoon Mango syrup • 1 Dried mango (garnish) Combine all ingredients in mixing glass. Add ice, stir, and strain over fresh ice in a double rocks glass. Garnish with a dried mango.
Trend 3: Frozen
When you’re looking to get really out of the box with your Negroni, turn to your blender. Frozen Negronis are a playful variation of this serious cocktail and are a great starting point for people who are new to bitter flavor profiles. Add an umbrella for an extra dose of whimsy and sip with a straw. Frozen Negroni • 1 oz. Bulldog Gin • 1 oz. 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso • 1 oz. Campari • 3 oz. Fresh orange juice • ½ oz. Simple syrup • 1 Orange wedge (garnish) Start by freezing a rocks glass. Combine ingredients in a blender and add approximately 8 oz. ice (about one measured cup). Blend until smooth. Pour into a frozen glass and garnish with an orange wedge.
In Closing
However you enjoy your Negroni and its many variations, we hope you have a wonderful Negroni Week! Stay up to date on all Negroni Week news by following @CampariUSA and @Imbibe on Instagram, @CampariUS and @Imbibe on Facebook, and engaging with the #NegroniWeek, #Campari, and #imbibe hashtags. Find all your Negroni Week essentials here and find even more Negroni recipes here.
