This is John’s favorite cocktail, and he makes it quite frequently on Friday nights to celebrate the arrival of the weekend. I think his love for this elixir comes from the time we traveled to Rome and sat at a café overlooking the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. There was probably no better introduction to this very popular Italian aperitivo, which is made of one part gin, one part vermouth rosso and one part Campari and garnished with an orange peel. Traditionally, it is stirred and not shaken, and is built over ice in a tumbler. I love the bright color of the Campari, which is a bitter characterized by its dark red color. A Negroni Sbagliato (Italian for mistake) is my favorite way to enjoy it and replaces the gin with sparkling wine. This version of a Negroni was invented supposedly in Milan when a bartender accidentally created it. To this day, the only known ingredients of Campari are water and alcohol. It is one of the great mysteries, as it remains a secret and special recipe. Apparently, no one other than the factory director at Campari knows of all of the herbs included, but many believe it contains gentian, oranges rhubarb and ginseng.
Ingredients
1 oz. gin
1 oz. vermouth rosso
1 oz. Campari
Garnish: orange peel
1. Add the gin, Campari and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a rocks glass filled with large ice cubes.
3. Garnish with an orange peel.
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