Entertaining

The perfect Negroni recipe

You can't go wrong with a Negroni - Sweet, Bitter + Spice make up a perfect entry-level entertainer.
classic Negroni cocktail recipeGetty
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Wondering what cocktail to serve up to everyone from your dear old Dad to a cosmopolitan crowd of friends? We turned to Virginia Selleck and Kirsten Dickie at Magnum + Queens for their counsel.

“The Negroni traces back to Florence 1919. According to dependable folklore of the day, the cocktail was born when an Italian bartender responded to a customer’s demand for a stiffer riff on an Americano cocktail (a less boozy mix of Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda). The patron, Count Camillo Negroni, had picked up a taste for strong liquor while working as a rodeo clown in the American Wild West, and gave his name to the resulting concoction.”

One of the easiest cocktails to make – the key is quality ingredients.

Ingredients

Method

1.

Layer ingredients over ice in a chilled mixing glass (Boston Shaker)

Make sure ice is firm and not beginning to melt; this will dilute your Negroni and give it a water downed taste.

2.

Gently Stir till ice is coated

3.

Strain and pour into an old fashioned glass over one big ice cube or spherical ice cube – available you can buy these moulds at most homeware stores.

4.

Orange twist – with a knife or peeler slice a large section of the orange rind off. If there is white pith try to remove as much as possible.

5.

Twist zest over Negroni to release oil and drop zest into glass.

Shop ingredients for the perfect Negroni

Balcombe dry gin

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Balcombe dry gin, David Jones

$99.95

Made on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula with botanicals native to the region, this dry gin works as beautifully in a Negroni as it does in a Martini or classic gin & tonic.

Campair Negroni 500ml

02

Campari Negroni, First Choice Liquor

$48

Cut to the chase with this simple take on the classic Negroni in a bottle. Perfect for picnics or parties.

copper cocktail gift set

03

Copper cocktail gift set, The Goods Tube

$199

Start your own home bar with everything you need to make the classic gin and tonic and beyond, delivered directly to your door, in a stylish tubular gift box.

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Luigi Bormioli (set of 4) old fashioned glasses, Myer

$39.98 (was $79.95)

Everyone needs a set of old fashioned glasses in their entertaining arsenal at home and this timeless collection is made in Italy using traditional craftsmanship. Faceted glass makes a simple cocktail or whisky look extra special.

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