The White Negroni
One of my favourite spring or summer aperitif drinks, the White Negroni is a bright, light and herbal take on the classic Negroni. It still packs a punch and scratches that bittersweet itch!
History
The Negroni is one of the world’s most popular cocktails, and many bartenders have riffed on its gin – vermouth – bitters formula.
One of the most successful versions is the White Negroni, invented in 2001 by a British bartender named Wayne Collins.
Collins and the brand ambassador for Plymouth gin had travelled to France for a cocktail competition and had a hankering for a Negroni. Being in a different country they decided to take advantage of local ingredients, and so opted for Lillet Blanc as the vermouth component, and Suze for the bitters – Plymouth for the gin was a given of course!
It wasn’t an immediate success but both men introduced it to other bartenders and it slowly gained some traction, especially when it was put on the menu at the Pegu Club in New York. At that point Suze wasn’t even available in the States so it had to be smuggled in, giving the drink a scandalous edge!
Nowadays the gentian liqueur is a mainstay at most serious cocktail bars and good bottle shops so you should have no trouble seeking out this bona fide modern classic!
Ingredients
40ml gin
30ml white vermouth
20ml Suze
Grapefruit twist to garnish
Equipment
A jigger
A mixing glass
A julep strainer
A rocks glass
Good ice
Method
Add all of your ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled and diluted.
Use your julep strainer to hold the ice back in the mixing glass and pour over a big block of ice in to your rocks glass.
Fold the grapefruit twist over the top of the drink to expel the oils, and pop it in to garnish.
Enjoy!
Suggested Spirits
Plymouth was the original gin used in this twist and its softer flavour profile works well to meld all the strong flavours together but we’ve used Tanquerray no Ten for the added citrus punch.
Lillet Blanc is widely available and the original one used here, but most other blanc or bianco vermouths like Dolin would work.
Suze is a gentian liqueur, and fairly widely available. Kamm & Sons is one of the other fairly accessible producers.
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