In this fun twist on a Negroni cocktail, the herbal notes of chamomile-infused Bluecoat Gin join with the sweetness of strawberry-infused Aperol and the light, floral delicacy of Lillet Rosé. The special touch here: homemade strawberry juice ice cubes, which lend a fresh, sweet-and-tart brightness to this extremely sippable (and nicely pink) drink. Rizzo and the rest of the Pink Ladies from Grease would approve.
Traditionally speaking, the Negroni uses equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet red vermouth and always comes with an orange wheel garnish.
How to Infuse Spirits
For chamomile gin in this Negroni Twist cocktail recipe, start with a good quality gin and add dried chamomile flowers to the bottle. The ratio depends on your taste, but we recommend using about a tablespoon of dried flowers per bottle. You’re going to want to let it steep for a few days. Taste it once in a while: chamomile can become bitter with over-steeping.
The strawberry Aperol, is slightly trickier due to the water content of the fruit. But, you can macerate fresh strawberries with a bit of sugar for a few hours to draw out their juices and make it easier to infuse. Simply add the macerated mixture to your Aperol and let it infuse for a few days, once again tasting regularly. Strain both infusions when you’re done. You can also save the extra infusions in your fridge in a tightly sealed bottle.
Print
The Beauty School Dropout: A Negroni Twist
Description
It’s the infused spirits that bring this twist on a negroni to life.
Ingredients
- 1 punnett (small basket or container) of fresh strawberries
- 1 ¼ oz chamomile-infused Bluecoat Gin
- 1 oz strawberry-infused Aperol
- ¼ oz Lillet Rosé
Instructions
- Purée a punnett of fresh strawberries and freeze the results in an ice cube tray.
- Shake the other ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Put a strawberry ice cube or two in a double old-fashioned glass and pour the mixture to the brim.
Recipe by Rachel Sinagra, Fig & Ash Mixologist
Story by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce
Produced by Star Laliberte
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine’s print edition.
