Negroni

  • 50 ml gin
  • 50 ml Campari
  • 50 ml vermouth

Pour everything into an Old Fashioned glass with ice. Stir. Drop in a slice of orange.

Unusually it is not the gin that defines this cocktail so much. Primarily here it is the vermouth. Most bartenders default to be a red, sweet, Italian rosso. They should really try a Catalan vermut. This is a game changer. Catalans regularly drink it neat on the rocks. It is one of the most popular drinks, especially at Sunday lunchtime or as a general aperitif. It smells like a warm kitchen, not a visit to the dentist like the ubiquitous Martini & Rossi Vermouth which is never taken alone, and for good reason. That said, there can be some superior Italian vermouths to be had. Seek out Vermouth di Torino, made in Piemonte, which has recently undergone a revival.

The second trump card, which is swiftly gaining wide acceptance, is to swap out the overly bitter Campari for Aperol. It also has half the alcohol thus lightening an already hefty drink. Alternatively Cynar, an Italian amaro based on artichoke, gives the Negroni a bitter herbal edge, although colours it a bland brown.