Episode 80 - Negroni Week 3

This Episode's Cast of Characters

It's Negroni Week again!  In fact, if you're reading this on the 29th of June (like you're supposed to) you have one more day to find your local Negroni Week supporter and go have a drink for charity! Just think of it.  Drinking to help others, instead of for your own selfish reasons!  

If you can't get out though, here's a couple of unique twists on this classic cocktail for you to drink on your own.  First up is an unusual Negroni called, the Unusual Negroni.  This one comes from a book called "The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, With Recipes & Lore" by Gary Regan.  In this drink, Aperol replaces the Campari and Lillet Blanc is used in place of sweet Vermouth.  Plus, Hendricks gin has a bit of a cucumber flavour.  You have to try this one!

Unusual Negroni

1 ounce Aperol
1 ounce Lillet Blanc
1 ounce Hendrick's Gin

Small grapefruit slice or grapefruit twist for garnish

To serve "on the rocks" (with ice cubes), stir Aperol, Lillet Blanc, and gin with ice in an Old Fashioned glass, then garnish with a grapefruit slice and serve.

To serve "up" (without ice cubes), stir Aperol, Lillet Blanc, and gin with ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a grapefruit twist and serve.

Either way this is a tasty drink that is much less assertive than the traditional Negroni.  One could drink these by the mugfull!  Should you?  I don't know.  Depends on your day.  You going someplace special?  No?  Grab a mug.

Next up is another drink that will use up some more of that Sloe Gin you bought.  This one is from Robby Nelson and was featured on the Imbibe Magazine website.  It's the Sloe-groni!

Sloe-Groni
by Robby Nelson, NYC

1 1/2 ounce London dry gin
3/4 ounce Campari
3/4 ounce sloe gin

a flamed orange twist for garnish

Add all of the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, then stir to chill.  Strain into a chilled coupe, then garnish with the flamed orange twist.

How do you flame an orange twist you ask?  Check out this video right here.

Easy right?  Soon you'll be flaming orange twists over everything from your breakfast cereal to the cat's dinner!

The drink is really good too by the way.  This one is much closer to the original Negroni with the only real difference being the sloe gin used instead of the vermouth, and the proportions being skewed in favour of the gin.  Usually, a Negroni is made with the ingredients measured in 3 equal parts.  Try it today!

​Oh!  If you're wondering if the Gents themselves flamed their orange peel twist, here's the photographic proof!  Why not spark one up for Canada Day or the Fourth of July?  See you next time!

Fireworks for the national holiday of your choice!