• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Hungry Bites
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Categories
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef and veal
      • Chicken and Poultry
      • Lamb and Goat
      • Pork
      • Fish and seafood
      • Other Meats
      • Legumes
      • Salad Meals
    • Side Dishes
    • Appetizers and Meze
    • Pasta and rice
    • Soups and stews
    • One pan - One pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Salads
    • Desserts and Sweets
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes and muffins
      • Cookies
      • Chocolate
      • Ice Cream
      • Pies Bars and Tarts
      • Puddings, jams and creams
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Bread Recipes
    • Drinks
    • Dietary
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Gluten-free
      • Healthy
  • The Mediterranean Diet
  • About me
    • Contact me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Fall Favorites
  • Recipes
  • MDiet
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Fall Favorites
    • Recipes
    • MDiet
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    Negroni - the simplest recipe for the best cocktail

    Published: Oct 17, 2021 · Modified: Dec 8, 2021 by Makos

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Want to make the best Negroni? What Gin and what Vermouth to use? In what proportions? And what glass should you serve it in? Read bellow for all the answers!

    I really can't say enough about this cocktail. From the moment I first tasted a Negroni it's very hard for me to order another drink.

    Of course there other great cocktails out there like the classic Martini or the white Russian but the appeal of a classic Negroni served in an old fashioned glass with it's gorgeous red hues and the delicious contrasting flavors is something I just can't resist.

    Negroni cocktail made with Gin, Vermouth and Campari.

    But let's start from the beginning.

    The history of Negroni and its origins.

    The story has it that the Negroni was born in 1919 when an Italian Count named Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to make him a stronger Americano. Americano is a cocktail made with Campari, sweet Vermouth and soda water. The bartender replaced the soda water with Gin (wise choice!) and the Negroni cocktail was born.

    However others dispute that this delicious drink is of French origin. If you're interested in more details about the story of Negroni you can read this article from diffordsguide.com.

    The Ingredients of Negroni and the proportions

    The classic recipe has just three ingredients in equal ratios:

    • 1 part Gin
    • 1 part Campari
    • 1 part sweet Vermouth

    Isn't this the simplest recipe ever? Also, you'll need to add half a slice of orange (orange twist) or a small piece of orange peel and some ice cubes for the necessary dilution (and please, never use lemon instead of orange!)

    For my personal taste, the above proportions will give you the perfect balance between the sweetness of the vermouth, the bitterness of the Campari and the punch of the Gin.

    However, if you like things on the sweet side or if you find the taste of Campari difficult to get acquired to, then you may want to change the ratios a bit and decrease the amount of Campari.

    On the other hand, if you like your drink less bitter but also less rich in a way that the botanicals of the Gin have more space to shine, then you'll probably want to keep the Campari and the Vermouth in the same ratio and double the amount of Gin.

    So for a sweeter drink you can try:

    • 1 part Gin
    • 1 part sweet Vermouth
    • ½ part Campari

    For a drink that favors the flavors of Gin you can try:

    • 2 parts Gin
    • 1 part sweet Vermouth
    • 1 part Campari
    2 Negroni cocktaisl.

    How to make a Negroni cocktail

    And now for the most fun part, which is making a Negroni.

    Though you can use a mixing glass, I find it easier (and maybe tastier) to pour the ingredients directly over ice inside the serving glass. After that, all you have to do is stir it in order to chill the drink and provide enough dilution so that the many botanicals have space to shine.

    Best Gin for Negroni

    The best Gin for Negronis is a London Dry style Gin because it has juniper as the predominant botanical which pairs perfectly with the Campari and the Vermouth. The more modern style Gins lack this juniper flavor and are not generally recommended for this cocktail.

    And remember, London Dry is just the style of Gin, it doesn't mean it has to come from London.

    Some Gins of this style are:

    • Tanqueray (botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, and licorice).
    • Tanqueray No. 10 (botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica, licorice, fresh white grapefruit, fresh lime, fresh orange and chamomile flowers).
    • Bombay Sapphire (botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seeds, liquorice root, almonds, lemon peel, cassia bark, orris root, angelica root, cubeb berries, grains of paradise).
    • Beefeater London Dry (botanicals: juniper, Seville orange peel, lemon peel, angelica root and seed, coriander seed, orris root, liquorice root and almond).
    • The botanist 22 (botanicals: apple mint, chamomile, creeping thistle, downy birch, elder, gorse, hawthorn, heather, juniper, lady's bedstraw, lemon balm, meadowsweet, mugwort, red clover, spear mint, sweet cicely, bog myrtle, tansy, wild thyme, water mint, white clover, wood sage)

    Decanter.com has an article about the best gins for the best Gins for Negronis if you want to read more on the subject.

    Negroni cocktail in a lowball glass.

    The Vermouth

    Most people believe Vermouth is a spirit but it actually is a fortified wine (I talk more about fortified wines at the end of this Mediterranean sweet wines article). That's why once you open it, you have to keep it in the fridge and consume it within 1-3 months. And remember you can also use some when making Spanish Sangria!

    To be classified as Vermouth the wine must contain extracts from the Artemisia genus of plants. The artemisia extract offers bitterness which balances the sweetness of the wine.

    Probably the most known and easy to find Vermouth for Negroni is Martini Rosso. Other Vermouths are Cocchi Torino, Cinzano and Dolin rouge. Vinepair has an article about 9 sweet vermouths for your cocktails that you may like.

    The best glass to serve a Negroni

    The old fashioned glass also known as lowball glass or rocks glass is the perfect glass for Negroni. These short glasses typically range between 6 to 10 ounces (180 – 300 ml) and are ideal for straight liquors on the rocks or for serving a whiskey neat.

    What does it taste like?

    It's not easy to describe the taste of a Negroni because it has different things going on which somehow blend together in a gorgeous way. Some say it is an an acquired taste, but I believe it's one of the most iconic cocktails ever made.

    It's kind of bitter and dry but very tasty, it's rich and sweet from the Vermouth and balanced by the bittersweet Campari. The Juniper flavor pairs perfectly with the citrus notes and after the first sip it just asks you to take another one. I'm already tempted to go and fix me one right now!

    And don't underestimate the importance of dilution. As the ice melts, you'll notice that the taste changes dramatically.

    Negroni cocktail glasses with ice.

    How do you make a Negroni less bitter?

    Use less Campari. Campari has a strong character and can easily overpower the rest of the ingredients in the cocktails it is added to. So, to make a Negroni less bitter, the answer is to use less Campari. An example is to use 2 parts Gin, 2 parts sweet vermouth and 1 part Campari.

    Another solution is to replace Campari with Aperol.

    How many calories are in a Negroni

    One negroni cocktail made with 1 oz (30 ml) of each ingredient has 186 calories.

    If you want to make it with different quantities you can use this easy recipe nutrition calculator from verywellfit.com to calculate the calories for your drink (or any other recipe!).

    Recipe

    Negroni cocktail thumbnail

    Negroni - the simplest recipe for the best cocktail

    Makos
    Want to make the best Negroni? From the type of Gin to the sweet vermouth and to the balanced proportions, everything plays a role for this cocktail. Serve it in an old fashioned glass with ice and an orange twist and your pleasure is guaranteed!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course cocktails, Drinks
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 1
    Calories 186 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 oz (30 ml) Gin
    • 1 oz (30 ml) Campari
    • 1 oz (30 ml) sweet Vermouth

    For serving:

    • ice
    • orange slice
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Fill an old fashioned glass with a large piece of ice or 4-5 large ice cubes.
    • Pour the Gin, the Campari and the sweet Vermouth inside the glass and stir gently until combined and chilled.
    • Add the orange twist and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • 1 oz is about 2 tablespoons/ 30 grams
    .
    Suggested Gins: Tanqueray, Tanqueray N10, Bombay Sapphire, The Botanist 22, Beefeater London dry Gin
    Sweet Vermouths: Martini Rosso, Cocchi Torino, Cinzano.
    .
    Similar recipes you may like:
    • 3 Aperol Spritz recipes
    • Espresso Martini
    • Cucumber, lime and Gin cocktail

    Nutrition

    Calories: 186kcal
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    If you like this post, pin it!

    Negroni cocktail Pinterest image.

    More Drinks

    • Vegan mixed berry smoothie without yogurt - featured image.
      Healthy mixed berry smoothie without yogurt (vegan)
    • Iced matcha latte featured image.
      How to make iced matcha green tea latte recipe
    • Pine needle tea featured image.
      Pine needle tea (recipe, health benefits and more)
    • Freddo cappuccino featured image.
      Homemade iced cappuccino recipe (Freddo cappuccino)




    Vegan mixed berry smoothie without yogurt - featured image.

    Healthy mixed berry smoothie without yogurt (vegan)

    Greek yogurt substitute featured image.

    19 best Greek yogurt substitutes and how to use them

    See All Recipes →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Anastasis

      April 06, 2023 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      Love it! Recipe and article!

      Reply
      • Makos

        April 06, 2023 at 4:08 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    author profile image.

    Hi, I’m Makos. I make traditional Mediterranean recipes more accessible to modern people. Sometimes I'll add a twist. Take a look!

    More about me →

    Fall Recipes

    • Easy red lentil and pumpkin velvet soup (Vegan) feat
      Creamy pumpkin soup recipe with red lentils (Vegan)
    • Light & creamy butternut squash risotto with mushroom chips featured
      Light & creamy butternut squash risotto with mushroom chips
    • Balsamic roasted vegetables featured image.
      Easy honey-balsamic roasted vegetables recipe
    • turkey chili thumbnail
      Turkey Chili (Mediterranean style recipe)
    • Creamy mushroom risotto without wine, featured image.
      Best creamy mushroom risotto recipe without wine
    • arugula-goat-cheese-green-apple-salad-1
      Arugula, goat cheese and green apple salad
    • homemade cinnamon rolls recipe with the best icing feat
      Homemade cinnamon rolls recipe with the best icing
    • whole wheat, olive oil & grated apple pancakes
      Best whole wheat, olive oil & grated apple pancakes

    Popular Recipes

    • Pastitsio recipe featured image
      Authentic Pastitsio recipe (traditional Greek lasagna)
    • Oven baked swordfish featured image.
      Oven baked swordfish recipe with lemon vinaigrette
    • israeli couscous salad with feta, featured image.
      Best Israeli couscous salad recipe (with feta)
    • Featured image for creamy Greek pasta salad.
      Creamy Greek pasta salad (with healthy yogurt dressing)
    • Easy spanakopita recipe featured image.
      Easy Spanakopita recipe (homemade Greek spinach pie)
    • Cooked Pearl couscous in a bowl - featured image.
      3 ways to cook Israeli couscous (pearl couscous recipe)
    • Italian almond cookies featured image.
      Easy Italian almond cookies recipe - soft amaretti
    • Featured image for Aperol Spritz cocktail.
      Aperol Spritz recipe (classic + 2 easy variations)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    GREATIST, Buzzfeed, Saveur, wellandgood, verywellfit, popsugar, everydayhealth, brit.co, Health.com, Livestrong, Thefeedfeed, Marie Claire, Thepappaspost.

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2016-2023 The Hungry Bites