The Negroni, and its sister/variation the Boulevardier, is (are?) my favorite cocktails. It is simple, easy, and boozy (like me?). The ingredients are equal parts (typically 1 oz of each) of gin (or rye (or bourbon) for a Boulevardier, Campari, and sweet (red) vermouth. You can choose the gin (or rye/bourbon) that you like – experiment with different spirits! Same is true for the vermouth and even the Campari (sub out another bitter liqueur (amaro) like Amaro Montenegro. You can also play w/ the proportions – want a more bitter drink? Add more Campari. Sweeter? More vermouth.
To make the drink: pour the spirits into a mixing glass (or whatever), add a ton of ice and stir for 30 seconds until well chilled. You don’t want to shake a cocktail that only contains alcohol-containing ingredients – you’re trying to avoid shards of ice here. Pour into a cocktail glass – you can serve it up or on (big) rocks. Garnish with a strip of lemon or orange peel. Enjoy!
