How to make the perfect Negroni, with a twist!

This Negroni recipe takes on all the classic features, paying homage to its roots but with our own little touch of flair to elevate it beyond the classic cocktail. This is The Leafy Elephant’s Forest Fruits Negroni.

A very brief introduction

The Negroni started out as an Americano which was a classic cocktail made from Campari, vermouth and soda water. In an Italian café in 1919, General Pascal Olivier do Negroni asked his favourite bartender to strengthen his Americano cocktail by replacing the soda water with gin. The rest as they say…

Ingredients:

1. 25ml Copperhead Black Batch gin
2. 25ml Rinomato Campari
3. 12.5ml Mancino vermouth
4. 12.5ml Wild berries savoury liqueur

Before we dive into how to make this, a few words about the ingredients. Normally in a Negroni, the gin you use isn’t hugely important because of the boldness of the other flavours. However, in this case we have specifically chosen Copperhead Black Batch because it is distilled with elderberries and adds to our forest fruit complexion. The wild berry savoury liqueur is named Casoni and is actually named after the café in Florence where this cocktail was first made, Caffe Casoni, so it lives in this drink we feel.

Method:

1. Add all your ingredients into a glass jug or a cocktail shaker if you do not have anything appropriate at home.
2. Top up with ice. Try to use the largest ice cubes you can. You don’t want the ice to dilute and water down the drink as that will just take away flavour.
3. Stir, don’t shake, for around 15-20 seconds.
4. Strain into a rocks glass and discard the ice from the jug.
5. Add 3 or 4 large ice cubes and garnish with an orange twist and some fresh red berries.

Unlike a classic Negroni, the addition of the forest fruits make this version ever so slightly sweeter and smoother. It still carries a Negroni bitterness and definitely packs a punch.

Whether you prefer a classic Negroni or our twist, just ask our barmen when you next join us and they will happily make either one for you. Book a table in the bar here.

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