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Are you a negroni fan? I'm definitely not a negroni cocktail type of girl, but it is Negroni Week. So I tried. I first stirred up a classic version in a nice and short old-fashioned glass, and of course, you can't forget about that orange peel! It adds a lot of aroma and character to sipping that drink. I took a sip, and I regretted. And a negroni spritz happened.
At the end of a busy day, I want something refreshing - a light, fruity refreshing drink! So I ended up giving it a twist and added a splash of soda water and orange juice.
Jump to:
WHAT IS A NEGRONI?
A negroni is an Italian cocktail and we only need three ingredients to make it - Campari, dry gin, and sweet vermouth, garnished with orange peel. It is an aperitivo, which is a pre-meal drink, and most enjoy the drink between work and dinner. To make the drink, we do not need a cocktail shaker but a stirring glass because we stir the drink. It is built over ice in an old-fashioned or rocks glass and garnished with a slice of orange.
INGREDIENTS
A classic negroni is made of Campari and equal parts gin and red vermouth, but I only had a pink rosé vermouth. After making a negroni, I couldn't fully enjoy the bold flavors and dryness, so I had to lighten it up and add some sweetness to it. A negroni spritz is a better way to enjoy if you want to participate in Negroni Week but just not a negroni person.
- CAMPARI - I used Campari. It's an Italian liqueur infused with herbs and fruits. It has a bitter, spicy and sweet profile. I can usually find it at most local liquor stores, but you can also order it from Drizly.
- GIN - I used Hendrick's Gin. The recipe calls for dry gin, which doesn't have any added flavors or sweetness.
- VERMOUTH - I used Starlino's Rose Aperitivo Vermouth, because I didn't have any red vermouth. The pink rose vermouth was sweet, so I thought it's a good substitute. But dry vermouth can work too if you didn't have sweet.
- CLUB SODA - I used Q mixer's club soda. Feel free to use any types of soda water, sparkling water, seltzer or even sparkling wine as substitutes.
- ORANGE JUICE - I used fresh orange juice because after tasting it, I wanted a tad more fresh juice and sweetness, but I didn't have any orange juices in a carton. Feel free at add a splash of boxed or bottled OJ, such as Tropicana or Natalie's.
HOW TO MAKE A NEGRONI SPRITZ?
Because the flavors are too bold and dry for me, I knew I needed to add a splash of club soda and fresh fruit juice to dilute the flavors, sweeten it up and add that bubbly fizz.
After stirring up a negroni, I transferred my glass of negroni into a highball, added a few more ice cubes, topped it with club soda and added a dash of orange juice (not filmed). After tasting it, I realized that it needed some sweetness and citrus to balance the bitter and spicy notes. It's the perfect drink for any hot summer days or sunny autumn days.
VARIATIONS
Other negroni variations for my negroni spritz are as follows:
- Aperol spritz - a wine-based cocktail made of Aperol, prosecco, and a splash of soda
- Campari spritz - also a wine-based cocktail made of Campari, prosecco, and a splash of soda
Negroni has bitter taste from the Campari but the vermouth and orange garnish balance it with their fruity sweetness. The taste is herby and a bit rooty similar to licorice root.
The negroni is made entirely of liquor. It's made of three types of liquor, consisting of dry gin, sweet vermouth and bitters and garnished with an orange slice. Negroni has an average alcohol content somewhere around 24% ABV (Alcohol By Volume), so it is not a low ABV cocktail. But my negroni soda is.
📖 Recipe
Negroni Spritz
Equipment
- 1 jigger
- 1 highball glass
- 1 stirrer
Ingredients
Alcohol & Modifiers
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz rosé vermouth you can use any sweet vermouth
- 2 oz club soda
- 1 oz orange juice optional
Garnish
- 1 sprig mint
- 1 slice orange
Other
- ½ cup ice cubes as needed
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice cubes
- Add campari, gin, and vermouth into the glass
- Taste and add orange juice (optional)
- Top with club soda
- Give it a stir
- Garnish & enjoy!
