The perfect entry level cocktail

You can't go wrong with a Negroni - Sweet, Bitter + Spice make up a perfect entry-level entertainer - by Diana Moore

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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

30ml Balcombe Cloudy Dry Gin

30ml The Bitter Orange -Adelaide Hills

30ml The Regal Rogue Bold Red Vermouth

Orange

Method

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.

Step 1 Dad’s Negroni Twist gift box, $215 includes Adelaide Hills Distillery Italian Bitter | Balcombe Cloudy Dry Gin 700ml - Mornington Peninsula| Regal Rogue Bold Red 500ml - NSW, Australia
Gently Stir till ice is coated
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.
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.
Twist zest over Negroni to release oil and drop zest into glass.

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Diana Moore

Content expert, florist and interior decorator Diana Moore has been passionate about helping others make the perfect home ever since she moved into her own. From styling her local bar to feel like your best friend’s lounge room, to randomly restyling people’s bookshelves, Diana is a firm believer in making the best of what you have in front of you.