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Cocktail History
The Enzoni is a modern cocktail that was created by Vincenzo Errico while at Milk & Honey in New York City, New York. Named as a nod to an affectionate nickname given to Errico by his friends, the recipe is considered to be cross between a Negroni and a Gin Sour. It uses ingredients from the two classics, including gin, Campari, lemon, and simple syrup, but it uniquely omits the vermouth and uses muddled green grapes instead.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used PARK Distillery Alpine Dry Gin because it has a fresh gin flavor and is distilled from glacier freshwater and spruce tips from a national park in Canada. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
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.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Green Grapes: This is a small, sour green fruit.
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.
Muddler: This is used to muddle ingredients. We used the HQY Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Enzoni has muted aromas of Campari and fresh citrus and a fairly dry initial flavor that then gives way to herbal gin, Campari, and fresh grape, with slight notes of citrus and more herbal flavors on the finish.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: One obvious difference this version has compared to its inspiration, besides the lack of vermouth, is the citrus, which gives the bitterness a bit more sourness to hide behind; this made the Enzoni much easier for someone like Kendall to enjoy, while any existing Campari lover like Alex will appreciate its complexity and bitterness as a sour-format drink.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I honestly thought this drink would be pretty bad based on its recipe, but I was pleasantly surprised at how palatable it ended up being. That said, it’s a candy-sweet concoction worthy of its bright red color, so if you’re typically more keen on deep, contemplative flavors, this may not be for you. However, if you’re wanting to explore some of the true classics that our early 19th century barkeep ancestors came up with, this is a great place to start.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“This recipe makes me think I might like a Negroni a lot better if it had lemon juice in it because that one ingredient does a lot to make this Negroni-inspired riff significantly more palatable. I already loved the Rome With a View, which uses lime juice in a similar template, and I have to say, I don’t think I like the Enzoni quite as much as that one but do have to give it credit. This drink is way easier to sip than the classic Campari cocktails I’ve tried thus far, and the grape does come through in a tasty way although very little is used. I’d say give this a try to see what you think! I liked it more than I expected to.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Steve The Bartender’s Cocktail Guide by Steve Roennfeldt.
Add five grapes to a shaker.
Muddle gently for 5-7 seconds.
Add gin, Campari, lemon juice, simple syrup, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Fine strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with remaining three grapes.
Ingredients
Directions
Add five grapes to a shaker.
Muddle gently for 5-7 seconds.
Add gin, Campari, lemon juice, simple syrup, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Fine strain into a lowball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with remaining three grapes.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin and Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the bitter liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Campari Cocktails
If you like this Campari-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Negroni Sbagliato: A sparkling wine cocktail made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and an orange twist
Garibaldi: A Campari cocktail made with orange juice and an orange slice
Old Pal: A whiskey cocktail made with dry vermouth, Campari, and an orange twist
Jungle Bird: A rum cocktail made with Campari, lime juice, simple syrup, pineapple juice, and a lime wheel
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