The Negroni cocktail and its many variations are among the most popular types of drinks from the Mr. Potato Head school of bartending. Here at The Drunkard’s Almanac we take a bit of poetic license when we categorize a drink as a Negroni variation. We start from the premise that any three-part drink consisting of a base spirit and two modifiers (and bitters don’t count) fits the bill. Anything with juice generally doesn’t qualify, but we stand behind the Frozen Negroni that brings orange juice to the party.
There are, of course, people holding the view that if it doesn’t contain Campari it can’t be a Negroni variation. Opinions are all over the map.
Is there a definition of Negroni variation that everyone agrees upon? No, there isn’t. So we opt for the somewhat freewheeling concept of three part spirits-only drinks. With certain exceptions like the Negroni Sbagliato, which uses Spumante as its base, and the Frozen Negroni with its juice. But whatever you do, don’t think a Daiquiri or Margarita fit the bill. Those are sours, where two ingredients are a citrus juice and a sweetener.
