How to Mix a Negroni

Hi, I'm Joe Campanale, and you're watching Rachael Ray Buddies for eHow.com. Today, we're going to make the classic Negroni cocktail, and then we're going to do a variation that's going to make it a little bit more personal, and a little bit more unique. So, to start, the Negroni cocktail has just three ingredients: Campari, sweet red vermouth, and gin. So, use your favorite gin, and your favorite red vermouth. They're each a little bit different, but find the flavor profile that you like, and what works best for you. So, this is a really easy cocktail to create. You make it in a mixing glass. And, at this point, I've made so many that I know how to do it. But, what I like to do is add two ounces of Campari, and equal part sweet red vermouth. And then, don't forget your gin. And so, the strength of the gin is balanced out by the sweetness of the red vermouth, and then that bitter quality of the Campari. Then, you fill your mixing glass with ice, and you stir. So, Negroni is the typical Italian Aperitivo cocktail. And, it's a cocktail that was actually created in Florence about 100 years ago, when Count Negroni would order his favorite Americano cocktail, which was Campari, red vermouth, and soda water. And, he said, "You know what? That Americano cocktail, it's just not strong enough for me. Let's kick it up a little bit, and add some gin, and make it a little bit stronger." So, he would order this drink, and they named the cocktail after him, the Negroni cocktail. So, now I take a rocks glass that I'd been chilling. And, if you could take a look, I've added water and ice to the glass, which will bring down the temperature of the glass, and keep the glass really nice and cold for a cold cocktail. So, empty it out. And, fill your glass back up with ice. And then, take your Julep strainer, and you can just strain it out . And, there's your Negroni. A typical garnish for Negroni is either an orange wedge, or just a little bit of orange peel. You squeeze it, you release all of those great orange essences, and you can drop it right. The variation on the Negroni that we do here at Anfora, and at our restaurant Dell'Anima, is called the Roasted Orange Negroni Sbagliato. So, for the Roasted Orange Negroni Sbagliato, you take these oranges, and you segment them, and marinate it overnight in sweet red vermouth, and then grill it on - we use a Plancha, but you can use a pan, or a grill pan, or anything like that. So, you put that into your mixing glass. And then, add your sweet red vermouth. Now, you'll find your muddler, and muddle in the orange. So, when you're muddling it in, you want to push down and twist, and that's going to release all of the orange oils, and some of the specks from the grill. Now, you add your Campari. And, for those of you who don't know, Campari is a really great Italian aperitif. So, they drink it before their meal, and it's main that's very bitter. And, you see it has this beautiful red color. I really love Campari, it has so many different uses. So, you add that. Now, if you like your Negonis a little bit on the sweeter side, add a bit more sweet red vermouth. If you like it something stronger and boozier, you can add more gin. But, we're doing the Sbagliato with sparkling wine. Add ice to your mixing glass, cover with your Boston Shaker, and shake. And now, we're going to strain. So, if you can see, we have all of these great little specks of char that are floating throughout the cocktail. And, top it off with sparkling wine. Now, what I like to do is taste the cocktail. I use a straw, dunk it, and I can steal a little bit. That's perfect. And, that is the Anfora Negroni. It's Campari, sweet red vermouth, some sparkling wine, and roasted oranges. Well, thanks so much for watching. Next time you're in New York City, come visit me at Anfora, or Dell'Anima.