Florence, Italy · 1919

Negroni

A stiff, bitter, and aromatic cocktail that hits you with herbal punch and a lingering orange sweetness.

bitterherbalaperitifspirit-forwardorangebotanicalitalianstirred

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is a bold rush of bitter orange and herbal gin. In the middle, the sweet vermouth rounds out the edges, bringing a dark cherry and caramel note. The finish is long and dry, leaving a pleasant bitter grip on the back of your tongue.

Who will like it

For people who like bitter-sweet, spirit-forward drinks with heavy herbal and citrus notes.

When to drink

Drink this before dinner to wake up your palate, or as a slow-sipping evening drink.

Ordering tip

If it tastes too bitter, ask for it with a slightly sweeter vermouth like Carpano Antica or a splash of soda water.

Ice: Large CubeTemp: ColdCost: $2–$4Glass: Old FashionedBatch-friendlyMake aheadHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

A Negroni is a bold, stiff drink that hits your tongue with a heavy bitter-orange and herbal wallop. The sweet vermouth steps in the middle to smooth things out with a little caramel and cherry, but the bitter grip always wins in the end. It's dry, strong, and demands your attention, leaving a lingering medicinal-herbal warmth long after you set the glass down.

Finish: The finish runs long and dry, with herbal bitterness and a touch of orange oil lingering on the back of your palate.

Primary tastes

bittersweetherbal

Secondary

earthyfruity

Aroma

orange zestjuniperdark cherryspiced herbs

Bitternesshighly bitter
Campari dominates the profile with a strong, lingering bitter bite that defines the drink.
Sweetnessbalanced sweetness
The sweet vermouth provides enough sugar to stand up to the Campari without making it a sweet drink.
Strengthfairly strong
With a full ounce of gin and no juice or soda to weaken it, this is a stiff drink.
Refreshingmoderately refreshing
The bitterness and citrus oils give an aperitif lift, but the heavy alcohol keeps it grounded.
Complexityhighly complex
The three ingredients weave together dozens of botanicals, creating a new flavor with every sip.

Recipe

Make it at home

Stirred · Old Fashioned · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended for a crisp, juniper-forward bite

Before you start

Chill your rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you can, and grab a fresh orange for the peel.

Ingredients

GinBase Spirit30ml
CampariLiqueur30ml
Sweet VermouthVermouth30ml
Orange peelGarnish1 twist

Garnish: Orange twist

Tools

Mixing glass · Mixing
Combining and chilling the ingredients without making them cloudy
At home: Large pint glass
Jigger · Measuring
Measuring the three equal parts accurately
At home: Measuring spoons or shot glass
Bar spoon · Mixing
Stirring the drink smoothly to chill and dilute it
At home: Long-handled spoon
Hawthorne strainer · Straining
Keeping the ice out of the final glass
At home: Slotted spoon
Rocks glass · Serving
Serving the drink over a large ice cube
At home: Short tumbler

Steps

1
Grab your mixing glass and jigger, then measure out 30ml of gin, 30ml of Campari, and 30ml of sweet vermouth, pouring each one into the glass. You'll see the bright red Campari mix into the darker vermouth and clear gin.
2
Fill the mixing glass about three-quarters full with ice, using big cubes if you have them. Stir steadily with your bar spoon for about 20 to 30 seconds until the outside of the glass feels very cold to the touch and the drink is well chilled.
~25s
!Stirring too fast or chipping the ice will make the drink cloudy and water it down too fast.
3
Take your chilled rocks glass and fill it with a large ice cube or fresh regular ice. Place the Hawthorne strainer over the mixing glass and pour the drink over the fresh ice, letting it settle.
!Pouring onto bare ice without straining can let small ice chips through, which melt quickly and dilute the drink.
4
Hold a wide strip of orange peel over the drink, skin-side down, and give it a good twist to spray the citrus oils across the surface. Drop the peel into the drink, and it's ready to serve.
!Squeezing the pith into the drink instead of just the oils will make it taste bitter in a harsh, unpleasant way.

Serve

Serve it right away in the rocks glass over the large ice cube, while the drink is still crisp and cold.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Gin

GinBourbon Whiskey
Match
Common availability
Gin → Bourbon Whiskey: Replaces the herbal bite with a round, sweet, oaky backbone that plays beautifully with the Campari.
GinMezcal
Match
Specialty availability
Gin → Mezcal: Adds a smoky, earthy depth that completely changes the drink into something wilder.

Swap options for Campari

CampariAperol
Match
Common availability
Campari → Aperol: Makes the drink much sweeter and less bitter, with a lighter orange flavor and brighter red color.

Swap options for Sweet Vermouth

Sweet VermouthDry Vermouth
Match
Common availability
Sweet Vermouth → Dry Vermouth: Strips away the sweetness and fruit, making the drink sharply dry and pushing the bitterness front and center.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Boulevardier

Bourbon replaces gin, making the drink richer and warmer with vanilla notes instead of herbal juniper.

Match

The Boulevardier drinks softer and richer, where the Negroni is sharper and more herbaceous.

In common: bitter-sweet backbone, stirred over ice, aperitif style

Ingredients

Both share

Campari, Sweet Vermouth

Only in Negroni

Gin

Only in Boulevardier

Bourbon Whiskey

Swapping gin for bourbon removes the botanical bite and adds a round, sweet, oaky backbone that plays beautifully with the Campari.

Flavor

Shared flavors

bitter-sweet backbone, citrus and herbal aroma

How Boulevardier differs

warmer, sweeter, less sharp

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Americano

Soda water replaces gin, dropping the alcohol and making it a lighter, effervescent drink.

Match

The Americano is a refreshing, low-alcohol sipper, while the Negroni is a stiff, spirit-driven cocktail.

In common: bitter-sweet profile, built over ice, classic Italian aperitif

Ingredients

Both share

Campari, Sweet Vermouth

Only in Negroni

Gin

Only in Americano

Club Soda

Replacing the gin with club soda strips away the stiff alcoholic backbone and adds carbonation instead.

Flavor

Shared flavors

bitter Campari bite, sweet vermouth richness

How Americano differs

much lighter, fizzy, lower alcohol

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The most widely accepted story is that Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender at Caffè Casoni in Florence to strengthen his Americano by swapping the soda water for gin. The drink took off, and the Negroni family later founded a distillery to produce a ready-made version.

Creator: Count Camillo Negroni
Era: 1910s
IBA: The Unforgettables
Data version: IBA 2020 spec
Confidence

The exact year of creation is debated, but 1919 is the most commonly cited date.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Stir longer than you think to get the right dilution.
Use a large ice cube in the glass to slow down melting.
Try different sweet vermouths to shift the flavor dramatically.
Twist the orange peel hard over the drink to get the oils.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't shake it or it will go cloudy and watered down.
Don't use old sweet vermouth that's been open for months.
Don't skip the orange peel, it changes the whole aroma.