Negroni Recipe: The Classic 1:1:1 Cocktail and Its Best Twists

A Negroni is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, stirred over ice and served with an orange peel. It's bitter, sweet and strong, all at once. Few drinks are this simple to remember: 1, 1, 1.

Negroni Recipe

Ingredients (1 drink)

30 ml (1 oz) gin
30 ml (1 oz) Campari
30 ml (1 oz) sweet red vermouth
Orange peel or half an orange slice, for garnish
Ice

Method

Fill a rocks glass with ice. A large cube is best.
Pour in the gin, Campari and vermouth.
Stir gently for about 20 seconds.
Garnish with an orange peel. Squeeze it over the glass first to release the oils.

That's the classic way, built right in the glass. Many bars stir it in a mixing glass first and then strain it over fresh ice. That gives you a colder, more precise drink. Both are fine.

What Does a Negroni Taste Like?

It opens bitter and orange from the Campari, then turns sweet and herbal from the vermouth, with the gin's juniper running through it all. It's an aperitivo drink, made to wake up your appetite before dinner.

The bitterness is a love-it-or-learn-it thing. Many people who hate their first Negroni order it by choice a few months later.

Tips for a Better Negroni

Your vermouth must be fresh. Vermouth is wine. Once opened, keep it in the fridge and use it within about a month. Old vermouth tastes flat and sour.
Pick a classic gin. A juniper-forward London Dry stands up to Campari best.
Don't over-dilute. A short stir over big ice is enough.
Use the orange. The peel oil softens the bitterness more than you'd expect.

Too bitter for you? Go 1½ parts gin, 1 part vermouth, ¾ part Campari. Or try a softer bitter like Aperol in place of Campari.

Negroni Variations

Boulevardier. Swap gin for bourbon or rye. Richer, rounder and great in cold months. See the Boulevardier.

Americano. Campari and sweet vermouth topped with soda water, no gin. Light and fizzy. See the Americano.

Negroni Sbagliato. Replace the gin with sparkling wine. "Sbagliato" means "mistaken" in Italian. Lighter and bubbly.

White Negroni. Gin, a French gentian aperitif and a blanc vermouth. Pale, floral and bitter.

Mezcal Negroni. Use mezcal in place of gin for a smoky version.

A Short History

The popular story says the Negroni was born in Florence around 1919. Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender to make his usual Americano stronger by swapping the soda for gin. The orange garnish marked it as his drink. Historians debate some of the details, but the drink has been an Italian classic ever since.

Negroni FAQ

Is a Negroni strong? Yes. All three parts contain alcohol and there's no mixer, so it's around the strength of a Manhattan.

Should a Negroni be shaken or stirred? Stirred. It contains no juice, so shaking only clouds it and adds too much water. See shaken vs stirred.

What's the best vermouth for a Negroni? Any good Italian sweet (rosso) vermouth. Richer vermouths make a rounder drink.

What's the difference between a Negroni and an Aperol Spritz? Both are Italian aperitivo drinks. A Negroni is short, strong and bitter. An Aperol Spritz is long, light and bubbly.