Christmas Negroni

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Cocktail History

The Christmas Negroni is a Christmas cocktail that was created by the Campari Group and was published on The Mixer, their beverage recipe blog. The drink is very similar to the original Negroni in that it also calls for gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari in equal parts, but the spirit is infused with a variety of baking spices to give the final product some additional complexity and holiday flair.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Spiced Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, baking spices, botanicals, and alcohol. We infused London dry gin with baking spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin infused with baking spices in place of the gin.

Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Rouge because it’s a high quality vermouth with notes of herbs, coriander, hyssop, rhubarb, and citrus. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth.

Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with gentian root, rhubarb, citrus, herbs, aromatic plants, fruit, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the bitter liqueur.

Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

The Christmas Negroni features the strong aromas of baking spices alongside Campari and a flavor that delivers the expected bitter, sweet, and herbal notes of a Negroni before seasonal spices that evoke the feeling of the holidays show up on the palate midway through and linger long after the swallow.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We never know what the outcome will be when we try another Negroni variation since Alex loves and Kendall typically doesn’t, but in this case, we were pretty aligned! We both agreed that the Christmas Negroni, with its baking spice-infused gin, would be a simple yet welcome addition to our holiday cocktail menu.

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Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This Christmas Negroni was inspired by another one found online that had you infuse a bottle of gin with baking spices for a day and then prepare a Negroni with that. I decided to just infuse the whole Negroni itself, so I broke out the iSi cream whipper and Morgenthaler’d us this version. It really is a wonderful variation on the classic even if the Campari is muted quite a bit, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t think the original can get much better. Even Kendall really enjoyed it. Baking spice flavors are laced throughout the experience, from the aromas, to the mingled flavor on the sip, and especially in the aftertaste, and it perfectly evokes the feelings of the holiday season.”

—

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I’m still not at the point where I can order a Campari drink and enjoy it as much as Alex does, but I admit, this one had me starting to see the wonder of the bitter, bright red liqueur. What Alex said about the baking spices muting the Negroni’s effects is true, but that did wonders for my palate. The harsh edges of the template were much softer, which let me enjoy the general flavors of the drink without having to wince as I sipped. I still prefer a Rome With A View if I’m drinking Campari at all, but I might take a sip or two of this one if Alex makes another this Christmas.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Mixer, a beverage recipe blog published by the Campari Group.

AuthorCampari Group

Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin infused with baking spices in place of the gin, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth, and Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the Campari to try a booze-free version of this drink.

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More Christmas Cocktails

If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Mistletoe Martini: A blackcurrant gin cocktail made with dry vermouth, spiced cranberry syrup, cranberry juice, cranberries, and rosemary

White Christmas Colada: A white rum cocktail made with coconut milk, coconut liqueur, white crème de cacao, lime juice, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and cranberries

Let It Sloe: A port wine cocktail made with sloe gin, apricot brandy, red wine syrup, aromatic bitters, and tonic water

Chocolate-Covered Cherry: A brandy cocktail made with dark crème de cacao, cherry liqueur, and a cherry

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