The Negroni is famously a three-ingredient cocktail — made using equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth (though you can tweak those proportions) —and the drink’s popularity and ubiquitousness are because of its inherent simplicity. The best cocktails often combine just a few basic ingredients to create a harmonious blend that is greater than the sum of its parts. But if you were to substitute a different spirit for gin, would this drink still be called a Negroni?
In the case of whiskey, the answer is no — the Negroni then becomes a Boulevardier. But bartenders around the country have been swapping out gin for other spirits like rum, mezcal, tequila or even non-alcoholic options to create their own Negroni variations. “The Negroni is ranked as one of the best-selling cocktails globally (according to Drinks International, 2022) and some form of a riff on the classic recipe…can be found at most bars,” says Olivia Cerio, Italian spirits portfolio ambassador for Campari Group. “Over the 100 years since the creation of the Negroni, we’ve seen countless variations emerge, many of them becoming fan favorites and classics in their own right. There are so many avenues you can take the flavor profile of this cocktail to to customize it to your preferences.”
Your Negroni Does Not Need Equal Parts
The uniformity of the classic recipe (same amounts of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth) may not produce an ideal drinkFor example, rum adds a tropical sweetness to the drink, mezcal imbues it with smoky notes and tequila can bring earthy agave flavors to the mix. Some go even further by leaving out the Campari and using different kinds of Italian bitters or amari, adding fruit or citrus components or changing up the garnish from a simple orange peel to something more botanical.
Negroni Week, the annual celebration of this Italian classic drink that raises money for charity (this year it’s Slow Food), started September 18. With that celebration in mind, we spoke to brands, bartenders and beverage directors about how they make their favorite Negroni variations.
Mezcal certainly seems to be one of the most popular substitutes for gin in a Negroni these days, showing up in a number of bars (sometimes known as the Oaxacan Negroni). Take the Tropical Negroni at Saint Theo’s in New York City’s Greenwich Village. This trendy restaurant is also home to the Venice Bar, and there are a number of Italian-themed cocktails to choose from. The Tropical Negroni combines mezcal with Campari and a special sweet vermouth, and it’s garnished with a minty kinome leaf instead of a twist, resulting in a drink with fruit, bitter and smoky notes.
Saint Theo’s Tropical Negroni
Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz. Doce Mezcal
- 1 oz. Martini Rubino Reserva
- 1 oz. Campari
Directions
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Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a rocks glass with a large ice cube.
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Stir until cold and garnish with a kinome leaf.
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At Mexican hotspot Casa Carmen, also in New York City, they offer up the Negroni Mágico, combining mezcal with bianco vermouth and lemongrass-infused Lillet Blanc, forsaking the traditional red and slightly bitter Campari for a more herbal and dryer flavor profile.
Negroni Mágico
Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Agua Mágica Mezcal
- .75 oz. lemongrass-infused Lillet Blanc
- .75 oz. Martini Bianco vermouth
- 3 dashes lemon bitters
Directions
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Instructions
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Combine ingredients in a rocks glass.
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Stir and serve over a large ice cube.
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At Finch & Fork in Santa Barbara, CA, the team is celebrating Negroni Week by offering a different take on the drink every day next week. The Monday, September 18 version also uses mezcal but combines it with aged tequila, citrus and egg white, sort of a combination between a Negroni and a sour.
Mezcal Negroni Sour
Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1 oz. mezcal
- .5 oz. reposado tequila
- .75 oz. sweet vermouth
- 1 oz. Campari
- .75 oz. orange juice
- .5 oz. lemon juice
- Egg white
Directions
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Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
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Shake and strain into a coupe glass.
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Garnish with an orange peel.
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Rum can be used quite effectively in a Negroni riff, as well as a more tropical version of a Boulevardier. Brugal has a good recipe that you can easily try at home. This drink is made with Aperol instead of Campari and has the addition of Lillet Blanc.
Brugal’s Negroni Sibarita
Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Brugal 1888
- .5 oz. Aperol
- .5 oz. Lillet Blanc
- 1 dash peach bitters
- Grapefruit peel, for garnish
Directions
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Instructions
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Add all ingredients and simply stir over ice.
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Add the grapefruit peel garnish and serve.
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New York City cocktail haven Dear Irving has another version of a Negroni made with a sugarcane spirit — Brazilian cachaca. The Negroni on Holiday also brings tropical fruit front and center with a spiced papaya puree.
Dear Irving’s Negroni on Holiday
Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz. spiced papaya puree (papaya, cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper)
- .5 oz. Campari
- .25 oz. lime
- .5 oz. sweet vermouth
- 1.5 oz. cachaça
- Lime zest, for garnish
- Black pepper, for garnish
Directions
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Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
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Shake and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice.
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Garnish with lime zest and black pepper.
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With more people interested in NA spirits and corresponding cocktails, there are now Negroni variations that leave out the booze but keep the flavor. An interesting entry into this spirit-less category is one from The Press Club in New York City. “With the rise of the Negroni and bittersweet drinks, it’s nice that we find such a delicious non-alcoholic option for people who are sober, sober adjacent or just deciding not to drink for the evening,” says bar director Max Green. “St. Agrestis’ Phoney Negroni is great on its own, but we decided to spice it up a bit in the style of a frappe. It’s bright, refreshing and has a bracing bitter finish.”
St. Agrestis Phoney Negroni Frappe
Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 3 oz. St. Agrestis Phoney Negroni
- .5 oz. lemon juice
- .75 oz. orange juice
- .75 oz. basil syrup (simple syrup will work in a pinch)
- 3 half orange wheels, for garnish
Directions
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Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a tin. Whip shake on a small handful of crushed ice or two cubes.
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Strain into a Collins glass and fill with crushed ice.
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Garnish with three half orange wheels fanned and a straw.
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