:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Sour-Cherry-Negroni-FT-RECIPE0323-61981a701e8644479f5c5e873e09ca8d.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "11 Negroni Riffs Every Cocktail Lover Needs to Know")
The classic Negroni is one of the simplest drinks you can make — just three ingredients, added in equal parts, with one ounce of each. There’s no obscure spirits or special syrups that need to be made in advance, and it requires just a simple orange twist for garnish.
The Negroni’s simplicity is what sets it apart, and the base ingredients of Campari, vermouth, and gin serve as a canvas for creative recipes, which help this tried-and-true cocktail transition into a range of interesting variations.
Swapping in junmai sake for gin in will yield a Sake Negroni, a more mellow drink with subtle savory notes. The Negroni takes well to fruity additions like apricot and orange, or sour cherry. A splash of Prosecco adds lightness and a pop of citrus flavor.
With every new riff, the Negroni continues to prove itself endlessly flexible. Here are 11 Negroni variations to try right now.
White Negroni
Tim Nusog / Food & Wine
Like many great drinks, the White Negroni was created somewhat by accident. When bartender Wayne Collins attended Vinexpo in Bordeaux in 2001, he and Nick Blacknell, the then director of Plymouth Gin, went shopping for Negroni ingredients at a local liquor store in Médoc and were drawn to French ingredients like Suze liqueur and Lillet Blanc. One thing led to another and the White Negroni was born and quickly cemented itself in the lexicon of modern classic cocktails.
Negroni Sbagliato
Unlike a traditional Negroni which calls for equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, the Negroni Sbagliato swaps gin for sparkling wine. The result is a lower-ABV drink made with the same pleasing flavor profile as the original. The caramel, spiced notes of sweet vermouth blend harmoniously with the apple and citrus flavors from the prosecco. Campari adds balancing bitterness that balances the more fruit-forward ingredients.
Nonalcoholic Negroni
Martini & Rossi
Not only is the Nonalcoholic Negroni one of the easiest N/A drinks to put together, it also translates particularly well to booze-free ingredient swaps, thanks to the high quality spirit alternatives that have hit the market in recent years. In this one, Ritual’s Nonalcoholic Gin Alternative brings the herbaceous notes found in gin, while Martini & Rossi’s Vibrante aperitif has a bittersweet flavor profile akin to Campari and mimics its bright red hue. Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso offers a subtle sweetness with notes of almond and vanilla.
Rum Negroni (a.k.a Kingston Negroni)
Food & Wine / Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
The Rum Negroni is a bartender favorite. While gin brings its floral and botanical aspects to a classic Negroni, rum’s might contribute earthier notes and spices. A Rum Negroni generally has a deeper flavor profile, but still allows for customization. Swap in aged rums for notes of vanilla and baking spice; rhum agricole lends grassy notes; spiced rum contributes, well, spice, and some additional sweetness.
Apricot-Orange Negroni
Fred Hardy / food styling by julian hensarling / prop styling by julia bayless
The Apricot-Orange Negroni pairs the flavors present in Suze with store-bought apricot jam and orange marmalade. The preserves give this drink richness and a cooked-fruit flavor that helps offset some of the more bitter ingredients. Gin and sweet vermouth add classic Negroni flavors.
Spiced Negroni
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Developed by bartender and cocktail content creator Kaitlyn Stewart, the Spiced Negroni is a warming riff on the Negroni, a classic Italian cocktail, that is perfect for cooler months. By infusing gin with three kinds of whole spices, Stewart creates layers of savory, earthy flavor in this drink. Adding an ounce or two of sparkling wine to this cocktail can help balance out the more intense flavors and lighten up the drink — prosecco softens a Negroni, and the citrusy notes in the wine play off the Campari.
Sparkling Elderflower Negroni
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes
A Negroni but make it a spritz! Building on the flavors of a classic Negroni, the Sparkling Elderflower Negroni calls for orange blossom water which gives the drink powerful floral citrus flavor with just a few drops — think of this like the oils expressed from an orange peel to garnish a Negroni. Elderflower liqueur lends a subtle floral sweetness that offsets the bitter Campari.
Sour Cherry Negroni
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
This Negroni riff from bartender Adam Montgomerie is all about cherries. Creme de Noyaux, a French liqueur made from apricot and cherry pit kernels adds a light, almond-y flavor profile which compliments the puckery sour cherry juice.
Cold Brew Negroni
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
Campari gets the cold brew coffee treatment in this caffeinated riff on a Negroni. As the Campari infuses with coffee grounds and takes on a smoky, nutty flavor profile. The infused Campari blends with the classic Negroni components (gin and sweet vermouth) and a few dashes of savory black walnut bitters in this complex drink.
Sake Negroni
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Props by Addelyn Evans
In the case of the Sake Negroni, the fermented rice beverage’s notes adapt perfectly to the Negroni template. Sake, whose flavor profile is commonly appraised through five elements — bitter, sweet, acid, dryness, and astringency — mirrors many of the qualities of gin, with a softer but often still botanical-forward profile.
Chocolate Negroni
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
The Negroni can do just about anything, so why can’t it also be dessert? This chocolate-infused riff features creme de cacao, chocolate bitters, and shavings of dark chocolate to take the classic cocktail into the night. An orange twist adds a pop of brightness.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-one-off-weber-jumbo-grill-review-tout-a79574d6188b4781b9b0246281081ff0.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "The Only Grill You’ll Ever Need Is Less Than 0")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-produce-container-deals-tout-af87e6f9f9d64c7da704def37cb4186b.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "7 Storage Containers to Keep Produce Fresh for Weeks")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-shoppers-are-erasing-rust-from-cast-iron-tout-df8680098c384b48bf9b61117bfb6aa1.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "Erase Rust From Cast Iron With This Solution")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-vitamix-mothers-day-sale-tout-526a246487fa49f6a0efaf38b427c803.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "Vitamix Blenders Are Up to 0 Off for Mother’s Day")