Mezcal Negroni
Smoke meets bitter in the most popular Negroni variation of the last decade.
The Method
How to make it
- 01
Add mezcal, Campari, and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass with ice.
- 02
Stir for 20 seconds until well chilled.
- 03
Strain into a rocks glass over one large clear ice cube.
- 04
Express an orange peel over the surface and rest it on the rim.
Bartender's Tip
Build it on a single large ice cube. Crushed or small ice over-dilutes mezcal quickly and washes out the smoke that's the whole point of the swap.
A Little History
As mezcal exploded in American cocktail culture in the early 2010s, bartenders began testing it in every gin-based classic. The Mezcal Negroni stuck — Campari's bitterness and vermouth's sweetness give mezcal's smoke a structure that pure agave drinks rarely achieve.
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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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