negroni tredici

the negroni is one of my favourite drinks, not least because i love campari and all its bitterness. i think this links back to my childhood – i remember my mum drinking campari and soda and me being allowed, when we were on holiday at the lake, having a small splash in my lemonade (which obviously smoothed out all its rough edges) and feeling very sophisticated.

this is a different take on a negroni – quantities of all the ingredients are altered and the campari is reduced significantly while cynar, an artichoke-based bitters, is added.

cynar has a much richer flavour and the drinks reflects this – being smooth, richer and less refreshing than a negroni. i think this version is probably also good as a digestif, perhaps an alternative to my favourite old fashioned. interestingly, both the campari and cynar flavours come through despite the relatively small quantities used.

for each drink, stir with ice, 2 shots gin, 1 shot red vermouth, ¼ shot cynar, ¼ shot campari and a lemon zest twist. strain, discarding the lemon twist and serve over ice with an orange wedge for garnish.