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Cocktail History
The Rhubarb & Gingerbread Negroni is an autumn cocktail that was created by Emma Stokes and was first published in her book Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter. It’s a simple variation of the Negroni that is made with rhubarb-flavored gin and a delectable homemade gingerbread simple syrup, along with the classic’s ingredients sweet vermouth, Campari, and citrus.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Rhubarb Gin: This is the base spirit. We used Pearse Lyons Distillery Ha’Penny Rhubarb Gin because it has a well-rounded rhubarb flavor with notes of geranium, dandelion, lavender, and blackberry. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin and Monin Non-Alcoholic Strawberry Rhubarb Purée in place of the rhubarb 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.
Gingerbread Syrup: This is a sweetener made with ginger, ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole allspice berries, whole black peppercorns, vanilla extract, honey, white sugar, brown sugar, gum Arabic powder, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Orange Peel: This is a peel of an orange that has been cut into a strip.
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 Rhubarb & Gingerbread Negroni begins with aromas of citrus, baking spices, and the telltale notes of Campari. The flavor that follows is sweet at first before coming forward with distinct notes of rhubarb and gingerbread and then fading into pleasant Campari bitterness. And the aftertaste features strong gingerbread spices, which makes this feel kind of like drinking an adult cookie if you can get past the bitterness.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: This was a very unique variation of the classic! Kendall still winced at the taste of the Campari, but she found this Negroni almost drinkable thanks to the gingerbread syrup. Alex, on the other hand, actually upped the Campari by a quarter ounce and loved every spicy second of this variation.
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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This recipe was inspired by the one in the book, but I wasn’t keen on its original proportions. Instead, I changed them slightly by raising the amount of Campari just enough to make the drink more bitter without overshadowing what I felt should be the defining flavors: the rhubarb and gingerbread. I also used a touch more of the homemade syrup, and the flavor came through heavily in the aftertaste and a bit in the aromas, which gives this almost standard Negroni spec a definite holiday feeling; meanwhile the rhubarb sweetens the concoction some more and deepens the end-of-year vibe this drink gives off.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“As far as Negronis go, this one was definitely easier for me to drink than the classic recipe. I really enjoyed the aroma and taste of the gingerbread syrup especially, but in the end, I just couldn’t get past Campari’s bitterness. Maybe after another year of tastings my palate will be in a place where these are easier going down.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter by Emma Stokes.
Add rhubarb gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, gingerbread syrup, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over a clear ice cube.
Garnish with orange peel.
Ingredients
Directions
Add rhubarb gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, gingerbread syrup, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over a clear ice cube.
Garnish with orange peel.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin and Monin Non-Alcoholic Strawberry Rhubarb Purée in place of the rhubarb gin, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth, 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 Negroni Cocktails
If you like this cocktail recipe, here are a few others that are similar to the Negroni we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Cocoa Negroni: A gin cocktail made with sweet vermouth, Campari, cocoa bitters, a chocolate orange wedge, and an orange twist
White Negroni: A gin cocktail made with Lillet Blanc, Suze, and a lemon peel
Old Pal: A rye cocktail made with dry vermouth, Campari, and an orange twist
Boulevardier: A bourbon cocktail made with sweet vermouth, Campari, and an orange peel
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