Best Grapefruit Negroni Recipe

Best Grapefruit Negroni Recipe

The Negroni is the most popular of the Campari cocktails, and if you've been drinking the classic Negroni cocktail for a while, then this Grapefruit Negroni recipe is something you might like to try. The traditional Negroni drink was created over one hundred years ago in Florence, Italy. The story goes that Count Negroni was in a bar in Florence and requested his usual Americano cocktail was made a little stronger. The bartender agreed with the request from Count Negroni, and he swapped the soda water from the Americano out and instead, used Gin. 

The Negroni cocktail has been around so long that it has given bartenders around the world time to experiment with tweaking the classic Negroni ingredients, and the Grapefruit Negroni is one of these examples. So how do you make a Negroni? The traditional Negroni cocktail recipe is made with three equal parts of Gin, Campari, and Vermouth. Dozens of Negroni riffs have been created by swapping out the Vermouth and Gin and, on rare occasions, even the Campari. Some bartenders decide to substitute Gin for other spirits, while other bartenders might incorporate different fortified wines and bitter components. In the case of the grapefruit Negroni, the change is adding fresh ruby red grapefruit to the Negroni recipe.

This particular Grapefruit Negroni recipe sticks with sweet vermouth, Gin, and Campari but slightly changes the golden ratio. For this grapefruit Negroni, more Gin is added and less Campari. The change in the classic Negroni ingredients creates a less bitter drink than the original Negroni. Choosing to first squeeze and then drop in the grapefruit wedges for a citrusy kick is a great way to up the flavor of the cocktail. If easier, then just using fresh grapefruit juice will work fine, but adding the grapefruit wedges gives an additional nice look to the Negroni cocktail, plus a bit of extra grapefruit essence to the cocktail. You will find that the grapefruit peel's flavors interact with the other ingredients of the drink.

When the classic Negroni cocktail is made, then it is usually stirred but, with the grapefruit Negroni, it is often shaken, not stirred. Because the grapefruit Negroni cocktail contains citrus, it's common for it to be shaken, just like cocktails that might have cream, citrus, or egg whites. If for most cocktails with just spirits, then stirring is the preferred method.

Overall, the Grapefruit Negroni cocktail is a famous and easy riff on the original classic Negroni that is simple to put together. The Botanical Gin is complemented by the versatile grapefruit. With the floral and herbal vermouth combined with the bitter Campari, you are left with a fresh and fragrant cocktail.

Ingredients

• 2 peeled grapefruit segments
• 1 1/2 ounces Campari
• 1 ounce Vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Gin
• Garnish: a wide, long piece of grapefruit peel

Instructions

1. Squeeze the pieces or grapefruit into a shaker and drop in the fruit. You could also use fresh grapefruit juice instead if easier.
2. Add the sweet vermouth, Gin, and Campari to a shaker with ice, and shake until it's nicely chilled.
3. Place a large block or sphere of ice in a rock's glass and curl the grapefruit peel around the inside of the glass.
4. Strain into the prepared Negroni glass.