Negroni. It’s a word uttered rather often on Home Bar Girl. It’s perhaps one of the best classic cocktails of all time and definitely a drink I like to riff on. Well, did y’all know that there is an entire week dedicated to the Negroni? Each year for the past few years, Campari and Imbibe Magazine have put on Negroni Week as a charity drive for bars and restaurants to participate in. You can read all about it here.

I love the Negroni because it’s simple, supremely well balanced, bitter, and sweet all at the same time. It’s made with equal parts Campari, Sweet Vermouth, and Gin, served on the rocks, and usually has an Orange peel garnish. It’s great in the winter, excellent in the summer.

Here’s how I like to make it: I use Carpano Antica because it has a wonderful spice set and is very supple in the mouth. Same goes for Plymouth Gin, very smooth and easy in the mouth and not too much bite.

Home Bar Girl’s Negroni

• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz Carpano Antica Formula
• 1 oz Plymouth Gin
• Garnish: Orange peel rose

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into double rocks glass over one big rock. Express Orange peel, curl into a rose, and garnish.

Now since it’s #NegroniWeek, I like to have a lot of Negroni on hand so I can mix it with other things. Actually, I usually keep Bottled Negroni in my home bar because it actually seems to mellow a bit as all those ingredients sit together in the bottle.

This recipe is for a 375ml bottle. I used an old bottle of Carpano Antica, that way if any residual flavours are still lingering about, they would just mix with the Negroni Ingredients.

Home Bar Girl’s Bottled Negroni

• 125 ml Campari
• 125 ml Carpano Antica Formula
• 125 ml Plymouth Gin

Combine ingredients in bottle. Let it sit for as long as you like. It will get more awesome the longer it sits. I promise.

Now that we’ve got our Bottled Negroni all ready for #NegroniWeek, I encourage everyone to start thinking of things you’d like to mix it with. I’ll be posting recipes for Negroni variations from June 1-7, so keep checking in!

Cheers!