negroni

Easy Peasy Drinks to Make for Thanksgiving and All Your Other Holiday Parties

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

DD's-Cider-Punch-1

It’s that time of year again. Not only is it Thanksgiving, it’s Thanksgiving during a election year, meaning that you’re probably feeling salty towards at least some of your friends and relatives or perhaps they’re feeling salty towards you! What will ease the anguish you’re experiencing as you mentally prepare yourself to share a meal with your loved ones?

A drink that’s what!

Ok, so now you realize you have to make drinks for a whole bunch of people, AND you’re feeling salty. What to do?

Keep it easy man! Today, I’m gonna give us a few large-format cocktails that will work for all the upcoming holiday parties and give you a lil peace of mind. Ready? Let’s go.

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Firstly, you could set up an Old Fashioned Station for your guests to help themselves. This is a great idea cause build-your-own-drinks tend to be a hit at parties! You could get a couple different kinds of spirits (Bourbon, Rye, Aged Rum, Apple Brandy, Añejo Tequila, Mezcal, Brandy, etc), different types of sweeteners or a mixer like the excellent Cocktail Crate Spiced Old Fashioned Mixer, an assortment of Bitters, garnishes and let the people do what they want!

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A sparkling wine cocktail: This one is easy cause you can batch your modifiers (like Apple Brandy + Cinnamon Syrup, Angostura Bitters) ahead of time, pour them into the glass and top with prosecco. Donezo!

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Bottled Negroni: This one is almost a no-brainer. Make a bottle sized Negroni, let it hang out in the bottle for a few days and serve as an aperitivo. Super duper easy and the Negroni is a perfect drink to cut through all those heavy foods you’re about to consume.

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4. Punch. Duh. This is by far my fave format for large parties cause Punch is the most communal cocktail of them all. I’ve created many Punch recipes but my two favorites are…

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Winfred Bumbry Punch: This Punch uses Irish Whiskey, two kinds of Rum, Ruby Port, Lemon Sherbet, and Nutmeg. It’s fabulously tasty and was a home run at last year’s Friendsgiving.

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DD’s Cider Punch: this Punch features mulled apple cider, two kinds of Rum, Allspice Dram, Benedictine, and Lemon Sherbet. (If you haven’t noticed, Sherbet is essential in a proper punch.)

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See, that was so easy! Cheers and hope y’all have loads of fun during the holidays!

 

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MonteNegroni No. 2

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Happy #NegroniWeek to y’all! #NegroniWeekend? Either way, Happy Friday!

I’ve been working on this drink since I got back from Belgium cause I am in looooove with Copperhead Gin and it goes really well with Amaro Montenegro.

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Like, I’m so into this Gin that I bought it twice. The Juniper is there but there are also loads of Pine, Angelica, Cardamom, Coriander, and spice notes. It’s super smooth and I want to drink it all the damn time.

*WILL SOMEONE IN NORTH AMERICA PLEASE START IMPORTING COPPERHEAD GIN FROM BELGIUM? K thanx.

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But back to the point: Last year I made the first MonteNegroni and I loved it. This year I made it again but swapped out Copperhead for Plymouth Gin, Dolin Blanc for Carpano Antica…and then I thought, “Wait, this needs something else. Not a lot of something else, just a bit of something else…”

And then it hit me, “SHERRY!” I’ve noticed that 1/4 oz of Amontillado Sherry will really do magical things in a stirred drink. So here we are…I broke the rules again. Another Four-Ingredient-Negroni coming right up!

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Don’t forget to stirrrrrrrrrrr til the light of heaven shines down upon you and your heart smiles. 🙂 ❤

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MonteNegroni No. 2

  • 1 oz Copperhead Gin (sub any dry, Angelica forward Gin)
  • 3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
  • 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc
  • 1/4 oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry
  • Garnish: Orange peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stirrrrrrrrr until the skies open up and you see the light of heaven. Strain into a double Rocks glass over ice. Express Orange peel and garnish.

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Cheers and may your soul sparkle with the power of the MonteNegroni!

Melissa Negroni

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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I’m going FULL #NegroniWeek here at Home Bar Girl because I love rules. Yes, as hilarious as that sounds about a “grrrrrl making fabulous cocktails”, it’s true. The thing I dig about the Negroni rules are that it forces me to stick to an idea. And even though I really like to break the Negroni Rule of 3 (hello, I’m all about a four ingredient Negroni variation), I still have to keep the spirit of the drink intact.

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Today’s variation was totally inspired by my fave summer Gin: Bimini Gin. The very first time I tried this Gin, I knew I wanted to put it in a Negroni Bianco. Bimini Gin is a light, bright Gin from Maine and though the juniper is there, it takes a back seat to a whole bunch of citrus notes.

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And when I find a Gin that’s full of Citrus notes, I think “MELISSA!” Yes y’all, it’s time for another cocktail with Lemon Balm cause I cannot get enough of Melissa officinalis.

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Something else about Bimini Gin in a Negroni Bianco made me want to use two kinds of Dolin Vermouth. The Blanc cause duh, but the Dry was calling my name from the fridge. So I said, “Ok, y’all can both be in the drink but only if the Salers agrees to it!” The Salers DID agree, so here we have a four ingrdient Negroni Bianco. (Rules? What rules?)

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Sweet Melissa, how I love thee, let me count the springtime ways!

Melissa Negroni

  • 1 1/4 oz Bimini Gin
  • 3/4 oz Dolin Blanc
  • 1/2 oz Dolin Dry
  • 1/2 Salers Aperitif

Garnish: Lemon Balm leaf

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into double Rocks glass over ice. Spank the Melissa, rub it on the rim of the glass, and garnish.

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SUUUUUUPER nice for this late spring #NegroniWeek! Cheers!

#NegroniWeek 2016

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

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“It’s the most wonderful tiiiiime of the year!” YES YES Y’ALL, it’s Negroni Week!

Now, if you’ve been reading my blog for a bit, you know I have a thing for the Negroni. Give them to me, give me variations, give me so so many variations!

To start this week off, I’m gonna give y’all several of my fave Negroni recipes.

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Firstly, a classic Negroni. I like to make it with the exact ingrdients listed below and bottle it ahead of time to use as an ingredient in cocktails or to sip on. The longer you leave it in the bottle, the better the flavors marry together.

Home Bar Girl’s Classic 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.

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This next one came from a mad-scientist moment where my mind said, “gurrrl, what if you put a Sazerac with a Negroni…” OHHHHHHHH. IT’S SO GOOD!

Negroniac

  • 1 3/4 oz Negroni (Plymouth Gin, Carpano Antica, Campari)
  • 1 1/4 oz Rye
  • 2 Dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters
  • St. George Absinthe Verte Rinse
  • Garnish: expressed and discarded Lemon Peel

Rinse a double Rocks glass with Absinthe and chill. Combine Negroni, Rye and Orange Bitters over cracked ice and give it a very looooooooong stir. Strain into chilled glass. Express and discard Lemon Peel. Santé!

*Keep in mind that this is a very exact drink. Too much of any ingredient and the balance is way off.

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Now it’s time for a couple of Negroni Bianco recipes. I honestly have to say that I drink Negroni Bianco variations as much as I drink ones with Campari in them.

Negroni Blanc

  • 1 oz BMD Ethereal Gin Batch 11 (sub any Dry Gin)
  • 1 oz Dolin Blanc
  • 1 oz Carpano Dry (sub Dolin Dry)
  • 1 dash Pernod Pastis
  • Garnish: Lemon Peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into coupe. Express Lemon Peel and garnish.

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This is a bit of a wild card as far as Negroni variations go for two reasons: 1. Four ingredients, 2. Rum. Yeah y’all, a Rum Negroni can be amazing! Denizen Aged White Rum has a lot of Banana, funky, grassy and fruity notes and it plays really well with the rest of the ingredients.

The Other White Negroni

  • 1 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • 3/4 oz Fennel infused Dolin Blanc (sub Dolin Blanc)
  • 1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
  • 1/2 oz Salers Aperitif
  • Garnish: Lemon peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into Double Rocks glass over ice. Express Lemon peel and garnish.

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Lastly, one the most interesting Negroni variations I’ve come up with: the BanaNegroni.

BanaNegroni

  • 1 1/2 oz Espolón Reposado Tequila
  • 3/4 oz Amaro CioCiaro
  • 1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
  • 1 dash Dale Degroff’s Pimento Bitters
  • Garnish: Orange Peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into double Rocks glass with ice. Express Orange Peel and garnish.

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Cheers and may your #NegroniWeek be divine!

MonteNegroni

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

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Y’all, it hit me a couple of days ago that I’ve been making a lot of rather difficult Rum based Tiki drinks. I’ve made them because I love them so very much and I’ve made them because I’ve been in a Tropicaaaaaaaal mood. Well, now that it’s August and my mind is shifting towards Autumn, I wanna make something simple.

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Something easy breezy (cover girl). Something stirred.

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Something in a sexy vintage tumbler with an orange peel.

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Something like a Negroni. Yes, exactly, I want a Negroni but let’s swap the Campari for Montenegro and keep the Carpano Antica. Perfect.

MonteNegroni

  • 1 1/4 oz Plymouth Gin
  • 3/4 oz Carpano Antica Formula
  • 1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
  • Garnish: Orange peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stirrrrrr. Strain into a fancy tumbler over ice, express Orange peel and garnish.

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Yessssssssss. Thank you beautiful ingredients, you’re so very inspirational. Remember, every week is #NegroniWeek.

#NegroniWeek 2015 – Negroni Blanc

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

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Welcome to #NegroniWeek 2015! Negroni Week is put on by Campari and Imbibe Magazine as a charity drive for bars and restaurants to participate in. You can find out all about it here.

We’ve done it! We’ve reached the end of Negroni Week! Did you have a good time? Make any good Negroni Variations? Did you totally run out of that Bottled Negroni that we made in a post from May 31st? I totally did.

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If you’ve read this blog for awhile, then you know I love the Negroni Bianco in all its forms. I love sipping them on a sunny Sunday afternoon, while reading a good book, or sneaking one into the park. I love having one in place of a Martini when I want something a little less boozy and a little more flavourful. It seems only fitting that we end #NegroniWeek with this nice soothing variation.

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The Negroni Blanc uses two white Vermouths instead of a Vermouth and a Gentian Liqueur (like Suze or Salers), a bit of Pernod Pastis, and one of my new favourite Gins, Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin Batch 11. I got this fabulous Gin whilst I was on vacation in the Berkshires a couple of weeks ago because it’s a totally awesome Modern American Gin. With notes of cinnamon & allspice in addition to the regular set of Gin botanicals and a viscosity that you can almost sink your teeth into, the BMD Ethereal Gin Batch 11 is perfect for the Negroni Blanc.

Negroni Blanc

  • 1 oz BMD Ethereal Gin Batch 11 (sub Greenhook Dry, Dorothy Parker, Hayman’s Old Tom)
  • 1 oz Dolin Blanc (sub Lillet Blanc)
  • 1 oz Carpano Dry (sub Dolin Dry)
  • 1 dash Pernod Pastis (sub Herbsaint, Pernod Absinthe)
  • Garnish: Lemon Peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into coupe. Express Lemon Peel and garnish.

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Oh, and last night I got new vintage coupes! Beautiful eh? The wonderful people at Adaptations NY are now responsible for around half of my vintage glassware collection. Thanks y’all!

#NegroniWeek 2015 – BanaNegroni

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

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Welcome to #NegroniWeek 2015! Negroni Week is put on by Campari and Imbibe Magazine as a charity drive for bars and restaurants to participate in. You can find out all about it here.

We’ve made it all the way to Le Negroni Week-end, so I feel like we should be getting funky with our recipes. Therefore we aren’t using that Bottled Negroni which was discussed in a post from May 31st. We’re getting out of the box, and I mean WAAAAAY out of the box.

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The BanaNegroni reminds me a lot of a drink you’d find at Sother Teague’s Amor y Amargo. Hell, it especially reminds me of one of his drinks that I included in a Spring Cocktails with Jägermeister post called Precision Timepiece. Even though there is no mention of the word “Negroni” anywhere in the description of Precision Timepiece, it’s totally in the Negroni format. Three main ingredients, in a Rocks glass with some rocks, stirred, citrus peel. So it is with BanaNegroni.

BanaNegroni

  • 1 1/2 oz Espolón Reposado Tequila
  • 3/4 oz Amaro CioCiaro
  • 1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
  • 1 dash Dale Degroff’s Pimento Bitters
  • Garnish: Orange Peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into double Rocks glass with ice. Express Orange Peel and garnish.

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I really hope you like this one cause it’s wild, very intensely flavoured, and tasty. I also hope it gets your creative juices flowing. Would love to see some variations on this one!

Cheers to y’all and all your #NegroniWeek cocktails!

#NegroniWeek 2015 – Negroni-Apri

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Welcome to #NegroniWeek 2015! “Always and foreverrrrr, you will be my Negroni Babyyyyy.” (Excerpted from my upcoming hit single about the Negroni).  Negroni Week is put on by Campari and Imbibe Magazine as a charity drive for bars and restaurants to participate in. You can find out all about it here.

Now, if you’re like me, you may be running out of that Bottled Negroni that we discussed in a post from May 31st. That’s ok, we can make variations on Negroni without using Bottled Negroni, in fact, I’ve done so very many times.

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For the spectacular Negroni-Apri, I’m subbing Aperol + Apricot Liqueur for Campari, Carpano Dry Vermouth for Carpano Antica, and keeping the Plymouth Gin (never not Plymouth Gin). To this we add Orange Bitters, that lovely Orange Peel rose and BOOM, we’ve got a totally fabulous summery Negroni variation.

Negroni-Apri

  • 1 1/4 oz Plymouth Gin
  • 1 1/4 oz Carpano Dry
  • 3/4 oz Aperol
  • 1/4 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
  • 7 dashes of Regan’s Orange Bitters (yes, 7 dashes)
  • Garnish: Orange Peel rose

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into double rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Orange Peel rose.

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Practically perfect in every way. 

#NegroniWeek 2015 – Negroni Rosé

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Welcome to #NegroniWeek 2015! The week where we literally cannot drink anything other than a Negroni! (Jkjkjkjk) Negroni Week is put on by Campari and Imbibe Magazine as a charity drive for bars and restaurants to participate in. You can find out all about it here.

Now, if you haven’t read my post from May 31st about how I like to make and Bottle my Negroni, you should do that first, and then come back here. Did you read it? Word. Did you not? Ummmmmmm.

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Repeat after me, “Bottled Negroni is my best friend.” 

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Obsession comes in many colours, this time it’s in a light shade of pink. 

This fabulous Negroni variation was born from my love of Dry French Rosé. Pictured above is Saint Roch Rose Touraine, a very dry, lightly fruity (strawberries, citrus), and botanical Rosé from the Loire Valley. (Clearly I love this Rosé as I am nearly out of it.) Saint Roch Rose Touraine also pairs perfectly with Negroni, so that’s a glorious thing.

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The reason I’m suggesting a dry Rosé is that the Negroni is a bitterSWEET drink, emphasis on the sweet. If you used a sweet Rosé, well then you might have the sweetest drink on earth and that would be no good. Nope.

Negroni Rosé

  • 2 1/2 oz Bottled Negroni
  • 1 1/2 oz Saint Roch Rose Touraine (or any dry French Rosé, bonus points for sparkling)
  • Garnish: Red Grapefruit wedge

Combine ingredients over ice and give it a long stir. Strain into coupe and garnish.

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This is one of those drinks that takes you somewhere and it’s taking me right to the Mediterranean. Cheers to THAT!

#NegroniWeek 2015 – Negroniac

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

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Welcome to #NegroniWeek 2015! The week where all we talk about, drink, and post recipes of are the infamous Negroni! Negroni Week is put on by Campari and Imbibe Magazine as a charity drive for bars and restaurants to participate in. You can read all about it here.

Now, if you haven’t read my post from May 31st about how I like to make and Bottle my Negroni, you best do that first, mmmk? Did you read it? Fabulous Did you not? wellllllll…

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The Negroniac is one of my all time favourite recipes that I’ve ever come up with. It is literally a Sazerac + a Negroni and hoooo boy, does it pack a punch. Essentially, instead of Peychaud’s Bitters, you use a hefty amount of Bottled Negroni and keep the rest of the Sazerac formula intact. (Rye, Absinthe and a Lemon peel.)

Are you ready for this? The Negroniac is high octane madness.

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Keep in mind that this is a very exact recipe. Too much of anything and the drink is thrown way off.

Negroniac

  • 1 3/4 oz Negroni
  • 1 1/4 oz Rye
  • 2 Dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters
  • St. George Absinthe Verte Rinse
  • Garnish: expressed and discarded Lemon Peel

Rinse a double Rocks glass with Absinthe and chill. Combine Negroni, Rye and Orange Bitters over cracked ice and give it a very looooooooong stir. Strain into chilled glass. Express and discard Lemon Peel. Santé!

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Hello powerful and tasty Negroniac! I will sip you slowly and relish every drop.