Cool cocktails: the Negroni
By Alex Neth 
| July 10, 2009 | 1:00 PM
A Negroni: Enjoy on a patio while wearing '50s-style Ray-Bans. (iStockphoto)
Sometimes, choosing the right cocktail for an evening is a counter-intuitive process.
Take Denver’s current situation: hot, hot and more hot. Afternoon thunderstorms not only do nothing to cool us off, they make things worse by adding that dreaded touch of humidity. In such a miserable condition, with the asphalt softening and the mercury rising, you’d likely imagine that the best and most refreshing drink you could pour yourself would be something clear — like a gin and tonic, say. Or if you’re wearing an ascot, a champagne cocktail.
You wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, but that kind of thinking limits your experimentation. Move outside your comfort zone and try a Negroni.
It’s traditionally an aperitif but stands on its own at any hour of the day, mealtimes be damned. Its provenance is something of a mystery. Some sources say that a bon vivant named Camillo Negroni invented it in 1920s Florence by asking for a belt of gin in his usual Americano. Others say that it was first mixed by a brigadier general in Napoleon’s army. Still others say that it was the result of an American expatriate martini drinker who decided he wanted a straight-up Campari and gin, which his responsible Italian hosts then softened with vermouth.
Whatever the true story, a Negroni is one thing assuredly: tongue-bitingly sharp (some would say bitter), thanks to the Campari. But you’re not afraid of that, are you? Of course not. If Campari was good enough to be the drink of choice for Church of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey, then . . . uh, never mind. Try it anyway.
A Negroni contains:
- 1 oz. gin
- 1 oz. Campari
- 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
- Shake with ice until thoroughly chilled, strain into a (preferably chilled) glass, ice optional. Garnish with orange peel.
Information from cocktailtimes.com and Classic Cocktails: A Modern Shake, by Mark Kingwell, St. Martin’s Press
americano, anton lavey, church of satan, cocktail, napoleon, negroni
