100 Negronis

Negroni#98 " Limone e Arancia"

Everyone loves the boundless yet tasteful Italian creativity, like this unique Gin distilled with lemons and a blood orange Amaro which I used to make this Negroni with a favorite sweet white vermouth.

Malfy is the first Italian gin I have ever encountered. I was very excited to try it and create an all Italian Negroni! . It is very smooth, well balanced and the lemon aroma and flavor is delightful.  

I had always thought that Gin originated in Holland in the 17th century, but  the Vergnano family who distills this Gin in Moncalieri, Italy, professes that Gin was actually invented in Italy in the 11th century by monks on the Salerno coast. They added Ginepro (Juniper) and other botanicals to the alcohol - and gin was born.  I tend to believe them.

On the Malfy web site they offer this cocktail recipe.

An indispensable cocktail hailing from Italy. With Malfy Gin it can be made with all Italian ingredients!

1 ½ ounces - MALFY Gin
¾ ounce Campari
¾ ounce dry Italian vermouth

Shake well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

I am not a huge fan of Campari, especially since they started accomplishing its distinctive red color  with food coloring instead of Carmine—a potent dye derived from crushed cochineal beetles.  So I used  Amara the wonderful amaro made with blood oranges in Sicily. I could see using any good amaro with this gin.  I also used a sweet instead of a dry vermouth although I intend to try it wit a dry next time.

Malfy Gin

 

 

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Negroni # 73 "Tiki Negroni

Negroni # 74 "Bon Voyage"

Negroni #97 Here Comes Summer

I created this hybrid Negroni for a welcome to summer gathering hosted by our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, Longhaul in Garrison.  I needed an easy and portable cocktail to celebrate summer.  

The ingredients here include our ever favorite Cocchi Americano sweet white vermouth and a new discovery, Amaro Rosso Di Sicilia a wonderful Amaro made with blood orange and herbs which are: 

"“Farm to Bottle” a term that has become commonplace in our growing Spirits portfolio, and AMARA is no exception. This artisanal liqueur is produced on-site in Sicily from hand-picked blood orange peels and herbs. " Skurnik Wines Importer

Recommended by one of the many knowledgeable staff at Mid Valley Wine & Liquors in Newburgh, NY.

I mixed the ingredients 2 parts vermouth, 1 part amaro, 1/2 part vodka, but gin would do very well, in a shaker then poured in four small capped mini beer mugs, added the sliced strawberries and lemon, then placed them in the freezer to marinate for an hour or two.

The result was amazing! 

Amaro Rosso Di Sicilia

 Longhaul Farm

 

 

Negroni # 94 Party Time - Ne-Straw-Groni

Here is a fun cocktail that is all about the fruit. The tart sweetness of the strawberry melds nicely with the liquor. Great party drink. Could even be done in a big pitcher as a punch, multiply by 10 for a quart of cocktails.

1 oz Bulldog London Dry Gin

1 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth

1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro

1/2 oz St. Germain

Fresh Driscoll Strawberries

Slice the berries and muddle well in the amaro, add ice, vermouth gin, stir very well. 

Served on the rocks with a slice of lemon.

I chose the Carpano Antica because it has softer more nuanced flavors than say Cocchi Torino. Let the strawberry juice stand out. Montenegro because it is a little sweeter less herbaceous than Cynar or Campari.

St. Germain to add another element of flavor that balanced the drink quite well.

 

 

 

Negroni # 92 Simply Blood Orange

Another version with Ford's doing what it does so well, vermouth steps back and the amaro stands forward, blood orange lights the drink up like sunshine. 

Recipe in oz.

1.5 Fords Gin

.75 Noilly Prat Sweet

1 Aperol

Squeeze 1 Slice Blood Orange

See also Negroni # 91 She calls it the "TGIF"

 

Negroni # 91 She calls it the "TGIF"

Another delightful concoction from renaissance woman, Nell Conway, master of all flavors liquorious, wine, beer spirits and the foods that adorn them.  This Friday, February the 24th 2017 creation she calls the "TGIF" for what better way to close the week than with a delicious soothing cocktail.

Recipe:

1.5 oz Gin - Ford London Dry, chosen with the guidance of the illustrious UK bar master, brand ambassador, Simon Ford, who created this gin with Thames Distillers, as a "Bartender's Gin" made for mixing, and for that it is perfect.  

.75 oz  Vermouth - The exciting Contratto Rosso with all its luscious flavors as good as ever after 150 years.

.75 oz  Amaro - Aperol also an Italian great with flavors to entice and excite the palate.

With a dash orange bitters and squeeze fresh orange 

The smaller portions of vermouth and amaro give this Negroni a more Martini-esque nature. The gin more predominant role, keeping the other spirits from overwhelming. 

Mixing - you should know the drill by now. 

Ford's Gin

Simon Ford 

Contratto Rosso

 

Negroni # 89 Count Negroni has a Date.

 

A little play on words, we are sure that a bon vivant, Count Camillo Negroni, had many dates in his lifetime, but none like this. This combination yields a smooth and delightful libation that will warm your heart and soul on a cold cloudy gray winter day. 

1 oz Brooklyn Gin

1 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth

1 oz Amaro Montenegro

Medjool Dates and Meyer Lemon slices

Slice the dates and muddle well in the amaro, add ice, vermouth gin, stir very well. 

Server straight up, they go down quickly, no need for ice in the glass.

 

 

Negroni # 88 The Fall Figroni

I love the flavors of dried fruits in the fall, love figs all year round, best when they're fresh but much more richly flavorful when dried. 

To make this cocktail I muddled sliced California Calimyrna Dried Figs in an ounce and a half of the vermouth in a cocktail stiring pitcher, let that sit and marinate for awhile.   Then add very good ice, an ounce and a half of a mild gin and an ounce of a wonderful Amaro, Cynar.

To garnish we burnt some clementines and added Regan's Blood Orange Bitters. 

Poured into a cocktail glass after being stirred very well.

Monopolowa Dry Gin "is a superb smooth gin and a connoisseur’s delight, produced in Austria in a traditional manner using the highest quality triple distilled rectified spirits obtained from special varieties of potatoes and a special and unique blend of the finest and choicest traditional natural gin ingredients (including juniper berries, orange and lemon peels, coriander, anise, fennel and ginger)." Premium Brands

It is one of our favorites for its wonder flavors that are rich yet very balanced and allow other tastes come through. We got this at Palate Wine and Spirits in Newburgh.

Palate Wine and Spirits in Newburgh

Monopolowa Dry Gin

 

 

Negroni #87 सफेदgroni Bianaca Negroni

Inspired by Indian cuisine, flavored with Cardamom this white Negroni called by the Hindu,  सफेद, Saphed, or Italian Bianca it tests the boundaries of what rightfully can be called a  Negroni. Yes purists would protest loudly but we love this drink nonetheless.

Created with a very smooth and harmonious Catskill Distilling Company Peace Vodka, the gently exotic mildly sweet Cocchi Americano vermouth, replacing the expected Amaro with caramelized lemon slices and the citrus and  mentholated, spicy aroma and flavor of cardamom in the Scrappy's Bitters, garnished with fresh mint.

 Recipe:

Slice lemons and caramelize in a nonstick skillet, tear some mint and set aside

In a cocktail pitcher with a few spring water ice cubes pour

1 Part Catskill Distilling Company Peace Vodka

1 Part Cocchi Americano Vermouth 

3 dots of Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters

Stir well, I usual go to 60 turns

Pour straight up or over ice garnish with lemon and mint.

 

Catskill Distilling Company

Cocchi Americano Vermouth 

Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters

 

 

 

Negroni # 85 "On the Left Bank"

Another Negroni that stretches the imagination, made with Lilllet, a French Gin  and Cynar, with a touch of Gran Mariner.

Most people think of Lillet as a unique sort of drink, an aperitif if it falls into any category, but actually it is aromatized wine, vermouth. It makes a delicious Negroni with softer sweeter flavors. Campari shares the same regard, most people think there is Campari, then those other things, "what do you call them Amaro?"   Yet Cynar, Averna, Montenegro, Ramazzotti and Campari are the same type of liquor called Amaro. I'll grant you Campari is more often consumed as an aperitif, were most Amaro are considered digestives.  

For this drink I stirred together

1 1/2 oz G'Vine Gin

1 oz Lillet Rouge

3/4 oz Cynar

and a splash of Grand Marnier

A nice drink, on the sweet side for sure. Not one I'm likely to repeat.

I got the G'vine as a sample, it is hot and course, but that may have been partly a result of the tiny bottle. Not a favorite gin, but I should give it another try. It is an artisinal batch gin made with neutral grape spirit and in France’s Cognac region. Read More

I've always had a romantic love for Lillet, it is the perfect date drink. Delicious all by itself, with a slice of orange and maybe a splash or more of sparkling water.  Cheers to la belle vie!

 

 

 

 

Negroni # 84 "Lychee Love"

Reaching to the far limits of what might be properly called a Negroni, this magnificent concoction is a thing of extraordinary beauty.

Essentially a white Negroni, which we love, in the color alone clearly on the outer bounds. The delicate, yet distinct and vibrant  flavors of each liquid component join in a bouquet of sheer pleasure.

The Recipe"

1 1/2 oz Brooklyn Gin

1 oz Carpano Bianco Vermouth

3/4 oz Cardamaro Amaro

3/4 oz Cere Litchi Juice

Stirred gently in a shaker, with high quality ice, 50 turns, garnished with a slice of lime.

Fabulous!