Contessa
Equal parts gin, Aperol and dry vermouth — the Negroni turned down two notches.
The Method
How to make it
- 01
Chill a coupe.
- 02
Stir gin, Aperol and dry vermouth over cracked ice for 25 seconds.
- 03
Strain up into the chilled coupe.
- 04
Express a wide grapefruit twist over the top and rest it on the rim.
Bartender's Tip
Grapefruit, not orange. Aperol is already orange-heavy; the grapefruit oil supplies the bitter edge Aperol lacks.
A Little History
The Contessa belongs to the same family tree as the Cardinale and the Bicicletta — Italian bartenders endlessly reshuffling gin, a bitter aperitivo and a vermouth. Aperol's lower proof and softer bitterness make it the lunchtime member of the clan: all the ritual of a Negroni, half the impact.
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One short Friday dispatch: a bottle worth buying, a cocktail worth mixing, and a little Italian history.
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