Remedy for: Stimulates Appetite
Medicinal Mixology’s Negroni
1 ½ oz Gin
¾ oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Gran Classico
Recommended Gin: Martin Miller’s, Plymouth, or London Dry styles that showcase juniper
Recommended Sweet Vermouth: Carpano Antica Formula
Stir ingredients in a mixing glass, strain into a chilled cocktail glass (or ice-filled double rocks glass) and garnish with orange peel.
Are you wondering why we didn’t use Campari in this classic cocktail? Read our previous post to learn more about Campari’s recipe modifications and the artificial colors added to the candy-red spirit. Use Gran Classico as a substitute for Campari when you want to craft a Negroni that is full of medicinal ingredients and free of crappy additives.
Gran Classico Bitter, produced in Switzerland, is based on the original “Bitter of Turin” recipe dating from the 1860’s. This classic aperitif is an infusion of numerous herbs and roots including wormwood (the plant that made Absinthe famous), bitter orange peel, gentian, rhubarb, and other aromatic plants; it is a viscous bitter with a vegetal flavor and a weighty body that some people might compare to an old-fashioned cough syrup, but not the kind of Mary Poppins remedy that needs a spoon full of sugar to make the medicine go down. If the idea of booze-soaked, candied grapefruit peels intrigues you, then get excited about Gran Classico.
We changed the classic Negroni recipe [ 1 oz Gin, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz Sweet Vermouth] to make a more bitter, less-sweet cocktail, but play around with measurements to find out what you prefer. The gin you choose will affect the flavors of the Negroni, so choose one that is juniper-heavy (as opposed to botanical, citrusy gins). Most gin producers indicate on their label whether the flavors are focused on juniper or on balancing the botanical mixture as a whole. You want a piney, woodsy gin to offset all the citrus of the Gran Classico. If you’re in the mood to play around and flirt with a few drinks, make three different Negronis; try our recipe, the original recipe, and another (1.5 measures gin, 3/4 measure Gran Classico, 3/4 measure Sweet Vermouth) to see what you fancy. Taste the cocktails side-by-side so you can see how changing one little thing can have such a huge impact on the flavor of the drink. Also consider which Negroni you prefer and why. Let us know what you think.
To learn more, read: Campari and its Betrayal of the Negroni.
Drink to good health!