What if Tony Soprano drank Negronis?
At the Casoni Bar in Florence, Italy around the 1920s - Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender to add gin (our kind of guy) to the most popular drink at that time, the Americano (1 oz Vermouth + 2 oz Campari). The Count reportedly wanted something with a little more kick. Like all wise bartenders, his reached for a bottle of gin and made history.
A Negroni is one part each of gin, red vermouth and Campari. It’s traditionally served on the rocks in a tall glass, but it’s much better prepared in a martini fashion.
The Negroni is a wonderfully complex drink that will knock you down if you try to have more than 3. It’s an all out slugfest from the botanicals in the gin vs the spicy bitterness of the mysterious ruby-red Campari coupled with the sweeteness of the vermouth. You’ll want to have more than 2 - because you won’t be able to tell if it’s sweet, or bitter, or both with each sip. This is our favorite classic drink of the moment, especially when pondering our next blog post.
In a Boston shaker filled with ice, pour:
1 oz Gin (Tanqueray #10)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Martini & Rossi or Cinzano)
1 oz Campari
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. The traditional garnish is a lemon twist, but because of the Campari use an orange twist instead - rub the juice from the skin around the rim of the glass.
So what if Tony Soprano drank Negronis? No doubt he would have approved, puffing on a cao sopranos cigar, while pondering his next move….
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I keep three premium gins on hand at all times: Tanqueray, Plymouth and Hendrick’s. Each has its own unique profile and each makes a different kind of negroni.
Tanqueray #10’s citrus forward approach works for me (at times). I’ll try it in a negroni soon.
My value choice for everyday London Dry gin is Boodle’s. Why they don’t charge more for it I don’t know, but I’m thankful.