3 Delicious Negronis To Make At Home During Negroni Week
By Chicagoist_Guest in Food on Jun 8, 2016 4:22PM
The Negroni at Gilt Bar. Photo by Stan Ptitsin.
By Leigh Kunkel
You probably already know that it’s Negroni Week, that wonderful week when people drink Negronis for charity (and, well, because they’re delicious), but maybe you wanted to learn a bit more about this classic cocktail. Maybe you even want to make one for yourself. We’re here to help.
According to Negroni expert Gary Regan in his book “The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita,” in 1919, Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender in Florence to replace the soda water in his Americano, usually made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and a splash of soda, with gin. Apparently the Count had acquired a taste for strong liquor while working as a rodeo clown in the United States (no, seriously,) and the relatively light Americano wasn’t cutting it for him anymore. And thus the Negroni we know, with equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, was born.
There are plenty of places in the city with classic Negronis on their list, including Gilt Bar, which will be featuring the drink in support of Heshima Kenya, a group that provides support to the refugee community in Nairobi, Kenya. If you want to make your own, here’s how:
Classic Negroni
1 oz gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth
Orange peel garnish
Add all three ingredients to a rocks glass with ice. Stir gently and garnish with an orange peel.
The Negroni also leaves plenty of room for interpretation, including Band of Bohemia’s cherry-accented version, which takes the original and adds another layer of flavor with the addition of cherry bark-vanilla bitters. Try out their version and support Un86’d, which provides aid to hospitality professionals in the event of a crisis or medical emergency. Then whip up your own at home and impress your friends.
The Band of Bohemia Negroni. Photo courtesy of Band of Bohemia.
Band of Bohemia Negroni
1 oz Ford’s gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz Carpano Antica vermouth
2 dashes cherry bark-vanilla bitters
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon peel.
And if you want to go really crazy on the Negroni variations, try out the Tony Negroni from the Heavy Feather, which is a less bitter, but equally tasty, version of the original. Think you’re ready for an advanced negroni class? Try your hand at this recipe.
The Tony Negroni. Photo by Leigh Kunkel.
Tony Negroni
.75 oz Old Tom gin
.75 oz Letherbee gin
.25 oz Campari
.25 oz creme de noyaux
.75 oz Cocci di Torino
Lemon peel for garnish
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir and strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon peel.