Modern Classic · Sour · Medium
Negroni Sour
In the owner’s words: A bittersweet, straight-up Negroni brightened with tart lemon and softened by a silky egg white foam
- Base
- Gin
- Glass
- Coupe
- Method
- Shaken
- Effort
- Intermediate · 5 min
- ABV
- 10.7%
Build
- London Dry Ginor Plymouth Gin / Mezcal
- Camparior Italian Red Bitter Liqueur
- Sweet Vermouthor Punt e Mes / Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
- Lemon Juiceor Half Lemon / Half Orange Juice · Freshly squeezed
- Rich Simple Syrupor Simple Syrup (use 0.75 oz) · 2 parts sugar to 1 part water
- Egg Whiteor Aquafaba / Fee Foam (3 dashes) · Pasteurised
- Orange ZestExpressed over the drink · garnish
You’ll need: Cocktail shaker, Hawthorne strainer, Fine mesh strainer, Jigger, Citrus juicer, Y-peeler
Method — Reverse dry shake: shake with ice, strain back into shaker, dry shake without ice, then fine strain
- Chill a coupe glass and prepare an orange zest twist.
- Add gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, rich syrup, and egg white to a shaker.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain the liquid back into the empty shaker, discarding the ice.
- Dry shake without ice for 10–15 seconds to build a thick foam.
- Fine strain into the chilled coupe.
- Express the orange zest over the drink and use as garnish or a dried orange slice wheel.
The story
A modern sour-style take on the Negroni, which is traditionally credited to Count Camillo Negroni in Florence around 1919. The Negroni Sour pairs the classic equal-parts formula with the sour template of citrus, sugar, and egg white.
Variations
Swap the vermouth for Punt e Mes to make it more bitter. Split the citrus half lemon, half orange for a more luscious drink. The Negroni Amaro Sour adds Amaro Montenegro and orange juice. The White Negroni Sour uses blanc quinquina and gentian liqueur. Mezcal in place of gin gives a smoky version.
Host tips
The reverse dry shake gives a denser, more stable foam than a standard dry shake. Lemon accentuates Campari's bitterness while lime cuts through it, so choose to taste. Lean toward less syrup if you like a classic bitter Negroni.
