The Perfect Negroni

Author Notes

Lovers of classic happy hour drinks, rejoice! This Negroni recipe’s 1:1:1 ratio will be the easiest cocktail you’ll ever memorize. The Negroni is at its finest as an aperitif—all those tasty herbs wake up and cleanse the taste buds, preparing them for an excellent meal. —Erika Kotite

Test Kitchen Notes

This Negroni recipe is a classic Italian cocktail worth knowing and using. As Erika writes, the Negroni is "a storied drink layered completely with alcoholic ingredients. It has nothing to hide behind, and when made right, it shows." The Negroni's ingredients are simple—gin, Campari, and vermouth—but its flavor is wonderfully complex.

Our favorite Negroni variations? The Sbagliato, of course (swap in Prosecco for gin), the Boulevardier (swap in bourbon for gin and up the proportions), the White Negroni and—hear us out!—the cold brew version. For the latter, add a healthy pour of cold brew (about an ounce and a half) to your Negroni, and up the vermouth a splash—you can thank us later.

If you don't have a cocktail shaker, don't sweat it; any Negroni can be simply stirred with ice, then poured. It makes for a great batch cocktail, too—just mix in advance and wait to chill until just before serving. What's the best gin for Negroni? Whichever style you like best, whether it's light-bodied London dry or grassy, spicy Navy strength (or anything in between). Personally, we're fans of Tanqueray and Hendricks, but it's your cocktail hour, and therefore your rules. Any sweet vermouth will do the trick here, and if you happen to have a special bottle like Carpano Antica or Punt e Mes, now's the perfect time to pull it out.

According to Erika, "When General Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni (yes, he was real!) walked into a Florence bar back in the 1920s, he ordered an Americano with some important changes: 'No soda—gin instead,' he said. It's bitter and herbal from the Campari, warm from the gin, and smooth from the vermouth. This is one of the best before-dinner drinks ever invented, plain and simple." We'll toast to that. —The Editors