Ingredients:

Here's all you need to make your mezcal negroni. Take note of the ounces.

• 1 ounce mezcal (cirial or espadin)
• 1 ounce Campari
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 large ice cube
• 1 slice of orange 
• 1 pink grapefruit twist

What you'll need

Barware:

• 1 cocktail mixing glass
• 1 bar spoon to stir
• 1 cocktail strainer
• 1 orange peeler

Glassware:

• Double old fashioned rocks glass

Preparation:

Preparing mezcal negroni is easy. Follow these instructions step by step to make your favorite drink.

1. First, pour the negroni mezcal into a mixing glass
2. Then pour Campari and the sweet vermouth
3. Fill your glass with ice
4. Stir until the cocktail is chilled
5. Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube
6. Once you strain, garnish by rubbing the orange peel twist around the rim of the rocks glass and placing it into the glass and serve

Nutrition Information

Yield 1 for one serving contains 162 calories

Serving size:

1

Prep time:

5 minutes

Total time :

5 minutes

Cocktail type:

Stirred

Diet:

Vegan

Notes

To produce more than one boozy cocktail, you'll need to scale up. For instance, if you have 3 friends you'd like to treat with free drinks, you'll need three ounces of sweet vermouth and Campari respectively. You'll also need three ounces of mezcal and and three large ice cubes.

Considerations when Choosing ingredients

As you begin your search for the right items for your mezcal negroni, decide on the yield that you're targeting. If you plan on serving more than one boozy cocktail, note that you'll need to increase your ingredients in the right proportions.

Negroni Mezcal

Try different recipes with the different variations. Don't go for a mezcal that is too smoky. Something gin-like but citrusy or floral, with high mineral content.

Some that you can try include:

Reposado

A bottle of reposado, just like tequila, was rested in oak for over two months but under a year. It has a nice whiskey-like taste.

Joven

If you feel inspired to embrace youth, then joven is for you. The young and unrested variation is a sure sign of purity of taste.

Sweet Vermouth and Campari

Campari the most straight-forward item in the recipe as far as shopping is concerned. Just pick a ruby-red bottle and you'll be good to go.

There are several options when shopping for vermouth. The highly celebrated Carpano Antica can never fail you. You can as well try Punt e Mes if you like drinks with extra bitterness. Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino is well-balanced and Dolin is also another good choice.

Our number one choice is Carpano Antica Formula. You could easily drink it on its own, and it's rich and complex.

Orange twist

You can use a vegetable peeler to derive a thin, pith-free peel from your orange. If you prefer to garnish with a thin slice of citrus, go ahead and do so.

How to make the orange twist

Nothing works best with any mezcal drink than a classic twist.

• Take your orange peel with the outside facing one inch away from the lit match flame.
• Twist, squeeze or pinch it quickly to create a spark.
• Drop your garnish into the ice-filled glass and your booze will be ready to drink. Serve it chilled after taking your favorite food.

Cocktail Variations:

Try adding a little hardwood smoke to your cocktail or a burnt orange!

Negroni is every bartender's most favorite plaything. Below are other ingredients that you can use to replace gin, other than mezcal, and their resultant cocktails:

• Prosecco- Negroni Sbagliato
• Bourbon whiskey - Boulevardier
• Tequila or mezcal - TiNegroni
• Dry vermouth and whiskey- Old Pal

Cappelletti and Aperol are some of the bitter red aperitivos that that you can also consider trying. If you prefer a more subdued color variant, herbal alpine amaro could be your sure bet.

Your choice of vermouth depends entirely on your taste. You can as well try sherry or lillet if you want your negroni without vermouth.

Play around with different recipes to make the quality that suits your taste buds.

Food Pairings:

For a bold drink, you need bold flavors.

A charcuterie board with salty and smoky meats and cheeses would do the trick!

Cocktail History:

Although the mezcal negroni is very new in terms of cocktails, the negroni can be traced back to Florence's Café Casoni in 1919, when it was first made for Count Camillo Negroni.

Milano-Torino, which was a mix of barky, bitter Campari and sweet vermouth evolved into Americano with the extra ingredient of soda water in the recipe.

When the Count made a request for something stronger, soda water was replaced with gin, giving birth to the legendry Negroni cocktail.

Flavor Profile:

Mezcal agave piñas are smoked, whereas tequila agave piñas are cooked over steam. Mezcal actually works well as a negroni variation because it gives transfers the smoky mezcal flavor to your drink.

You can never go wrong with mezcal in your negroni as it's got spice, herbaceousness and smoke. These are enough to counter the bitter taste of Campari and give you a classic cocktail that will get the best ratings from your customers, or whoever you intend to impress with your special recipe.

Don't pair your drink with low-quality food that won't go well with the flavor.

Why We Love Mezcal Negroni

One of our favorite cocktail recipes is the mezcal negroni. The classic twist in the recipe sets it apart from other popular recipes. We particularly love mezcal negroni because it is well-balanced, magically savory and smoky, herbal and perfect for all seasons, more so winter.

Did you make this recipe?

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And please remember to rate this recipe and tell us about your food pairing; we love to know our readers' thoughts about our mezcal negroni. Comment below and tell us what other recipes you'd like us to add to the site.

Reference Books

Reference Books:

Finding Mezcal - A Journey Into The Liquid Soul Of Mexico, by Ron Cooper

Mezcal - The History, Craft & Cocktails Of The World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit, by Emma Janzen

The Office: Classic Cocktails, by Grant Achatz

If you are looking for more recipes that include mezcal click here!