Mezcal Negroni
This Mezcal Negroni is my smoky twist on the classic Negroni, with mezcal replacing the gin. The mezcal adds layers of earthiness and smoke, giving it a bold, adventurous edge. With the bitter, herbaceous notes from the Campari, and the smooth, rich flavor of the sweet vermouth, it’s still well-balanced, but more rustic and intense than the classic negroni.
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – A Mezcal Negroni? Really?
The Negroni was invented in Florence, Italy, around 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to strengthen his Americano (which uses soda water instead of gin). A classic negroni contains equal parts of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. I love to play with cocktails (as I do with food!), and this negroni variant is the end result.
Mezcal negronis are a “thing,” so I didn’t pull this out of thin air. However, I did play with the proportions. I tend to prefer spirit-forward cocktails like this ginger manhattan and this whiskey and amaro cocktail. Rather than the typical 1:1:1 ratio, I increased the mezcal to 1 1/2 ounces, and specify 1 ounce of Campari, and 1 ounce of sweet vermouth. This results in a beautifully balanced but slightly boozy cocktail. Let me know in the comments what you think (if you make it!).
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- mezcal – You do not need to use a “top shelf” sipping mezcal in this mezcal negroni. Consider both price and flavor. Don’t reach for the bottom shelf! When I first became interested in mezcal, I got a couple of bad ones. See The Best Mezcals for Mixing for a helpful list of good mezcals for mixing.
- Campari – Campari is a trademarked amaro, and there is no substitute for its bitter, herbaceous, slightly citrus-y flavor. However, substituting for another amaro is an adventure, and worth a try. Cynar is a winner at Andersen casa!
- sweet vermouth – The quality of vermouth does matter. I don’t always use (expensive) Antica Carpano, but it is my favorite sweet vermouth. We almost always have Cocchi Vermouth di Torino in the refrigerator, and it is very good. I recommend avoiding Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth.
- garnish – A beautiful cocktail requires a garnish IMHO. I used a potato peeler to remove the orange peel, a paring knife to create a rectangle, and wrapped a fresh cherry with the orange peel before spearing with a cocktail pick!
🥄Equipment Needed
- cocktail mixing glass – If you don’t want to buy a cocktail mixing glass, you can use a pint glass or a mason jar.
- ice cubes – While “regular” cubes are okay, you will get more dilution of your cocktail. I highly recommend large cubes.
- cocktail mixing spoon – This cocktail mixing set includes a bar spoon and strainer, and is a great value.
- strainer – This cocktail mixing set includes a bar spoon and strainer, and is a great value.
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🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
❓FAQ
A cocktail mixing glass provides better control over dilution, it’s easier to monitor the temperature and texture of your drink, and stirring in a mixing glass (rather than shaking) keeps drinks crystal clear.
A larger, single cube results in less dilution in the cocktail. You can use regular ice cubes, but they will dilute the cocktail more.
There is no shortage of recipes for classic cocktails. My aim is to bring new cocktail recipes with an interesting twist (or two). I hope you’ll give this mezcal negroni a try! Let me know if you like it (or not) in the Comments section below!
Mezcal Negroni Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces mezcal
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce red (sweet) vermouth
- garnish - orange peel and/or cherry
Instructions
- Add mezcal, Campari, and sweet vermouth to a cocktail mixing glass half full with ice.
- Stir vigorously 30-45 seconds.
- Strain into a cocktail glass with a large ice cube or 4-5 ice cubes. Garnish as desired. Cheers!
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
This is one of those recipes that doesn’t sound like it would work as well as it does. The flavors of the different ingredients go together really well, though.