Sometimes I feel like this site should be called: Stir and Strain… a site for one million Negroni cocktails. But here’s the thing! They’re so good! And they also bottle nicely since they’re all booze. So let me explain why we’re talking about this oh-so-simple bottled cocktail today.
It’s October, the time where you suddenly realize it’s about to get BUSY. Like, you suddenly have no weekends. There’s parties, there’s apple picking sessions followed by pumpkin picking trips followed by parent-teacher conferences followed by Friendsgiving then real Thanksgiving and then BAM. It’s just black out time until about the second week of January.
I see all this coming down the road. I see drinking a sub-par wine that’s been left in the fridge from a cookie decorating party two weeks prior because you’re juggling making a turkey with, you know, life. It worries me. So, while I still have moments of my sanity left, and some moments of leisure (like, when I give my kids a 600 count sticker book and say have at it) I decided I should batch up my cooking/happy hour cocktail of choice, a Negroni.
Now, while most bottled cocktails might be chilled and enjoyed as is, I always prefer a Negroni over an ice cube. Keeping that in mind, when I bottle up a Negroni, guess what? I don’t account for water dilution. I definitely do for some bottled cocktails, but here, I know I’ll pour it on ice and give it a stir because if I was making this on demand, I would just build it in the glass over the ice anyways. See… simple!
So, before the holiday crush hits you, whip up a few bottles and store them in your fridge. They’ll keep awhile and when you just can’t with that $4 handle of vodka someone left from your Halloween party, you’ll have this drink waiting for you.
And, as I know I have a variety of levels of expertise on here, if this is too simple a bottled cocktail for you, I highly suggest you check out the two linked above!
The Simplest Bottled Negroni Cocktail
Approximately 4-5 servings
4 ounces Campari
4 ounces sweet vermouth
4 ounces gin, your choice but I went with a London Dry here
- In a swing top bottle, combine Campari, sweet vermouth, and gin. Seal and refrigerate.
- When ready to enjoy, pour approximately 2-1/4 to 3 ounces over an ice cube in a rocks glass. Enjoy!
First, we can all acknowledge that I could have come up with a better name for this cocktail, but really, it’s almost Fall and we’re all about the apples around here. So I’m not even going to try and be fancy.
This week I’m looking at the first sightings of apples in my produce box and I remembered how much I enjoy apple chips. They are so very easy to make as long as you have time. And if you don’t have time to watch an oven, then you might want to invest in a dehydrator. I, unfortunately, have hit max capacity for the amount of stuff that can sit on my counter or be tucked away in a closet, and also I read 
Is there a store you go into that, once there–even with a list in hand, you always come out with WAY more than you intended (and I’m not counting Target, because, really, that’s everyone on the planet.)? My downfall is World Market. I love to shop there for props. I will go in with a very specific list, and leave with several bags of stuff. And when I say “stuff” I mean candy from their food section. I’m sorry, but if you put me in a room with a pack of Hobnobs and some tortilla flavored Ritter Sport I am just not passing the marshmallow test (shout out to all you Early Childhood Development Majors).
Chinotto is a generic term for a soft drink produced by several companies in Italy, but mostly known here in the states from San Pellegrino. I first happened upon it when I was creative director at a company that imported it but refused to try it because I was told it was “bitter” and didn’t like the dark brown color. This was in the early 2000’s before it was cool to drink bitter things by the way. Also, I was young and still developing a palate.
But now, hey, it’s cool to drink all the bitter things! So I picked up a 6 pack of this sparkling fruit drink, thinking I’d make something with it. Fast forward a few weeks and after having a week long happy hour habit of dinner time Negroni cocktails…I ran out of Campari. Usually when this happens (and it’s more frequent than you’d think) I turn towards a White Negroni, but this time I thought I’d replace the Campari with Chinotto. It’s less bitter, more sweet, but I find that the bubbles cut the sweetness back a bit.
The Negroni Nero
While you’ll see me out to help the cause next week at a few of my favorite bars (remember to follow us along on 
Negroni:Past (double vanilla Negroni float)
1-1/2 ounces gin, such as Bulldog London Dry Gin, infused with vanilla (recipe follows)
Vanilla Infused Gin
Negroni:Present
Green Bell Pepper Syrup
Negroni:Future
1 tablespoon dried 
by Ted Haigh. Although at times I find myself pouring over the vintage Ads more than the words, the recipes collected here are a good history lesson for those of us interested in the world of cocktails; you need to know your beginnings.
, or use a sharp paring knife to curl a long continuous piece of peel from the lime. Set aside. Next, fill a shaker 2/3 with ice and add all ingredients. Shake for 20 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime peel.
). And while I thoroughly enjoy creating new, or (re)discovering old classics, sometimes I just want one. See today. I finally got to check out Bar Keeper in Los Angeles and as excited as I was to finally have the Mezcal from Del Maguey in my hands, I suddenly got a bit overwhelmed with what I wanted to make. Really, what I needed was a drink to have while perusing the 
I’d also just picked up. So my eyes went to the High West Campfire whiskey (a blend of rye, bourbon and a blended malt scotch whisky) and I thought to myself, why not a Manhattan with that?
(or if you got them on hand, a 
)