Calling all coffee and Campari fans! Looking for the best Espresso Negroni recipe? You’ve come to the right place!
We’ve taken our two favourite drinks and combined them into a luxuriously bitter Coffee Negroni cocktail!
Our easy recipe features Italian Campari aperitif, sweet vermouth, gin, shot of espresso, and handsome orange peel garnish.
Serve this elegant Italian cocktail in an ice filled rocks glass at brunch or your next aperitivo hour!
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What Is An Espresso Negroni?
A classic Negroni is an Italian aperitivo cocktail, made of one part gin, one part red vermouth, and one part Campari, garnished with an orange peel.
Campari is an Italian alcoholic liqueur, considered an apéritif, obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit in alcohol and water. It is a bitters, characterised by its dark red colour.
A traditionally made Negroni is stirred, not shaken, and built over ice in an old-fashioned or rocks glass.
While the drink’s origins are unknown, the most widely reported account is that it was first mixed in Florence, in 1919, at Caffè Casoni. Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni concocted it by asking the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than the normal soda water. The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink.
An Espresso Negroni is a fun play on the classic Italian mixed drink, which adds a shot of high quality coffee to the aperitivo.
Travel To Italy To Sip A Coffee Negroni
There’s no better way to familiarize yourself with an authentic Coffee Negroni recipe then by planning a vacation to visit Italy.
Today, Italy’s most popular aperitif is enjoyed in drinks across the country and throughout Europe and North America.
If you’ve traveled to Italy before you’ll probably have developed a fondness for aperitivo hour. Aperitivo comes from the Latin word aperire, meaning “to open.” Historically, an aperitivo was an alcoholic beverage consumed before dinner to whet your appetite. Today, it’s a daily ritual that embodies la dolce vita.
True to form, this daily routine exudes Italy’s quintessential style of slowing down, socializing, drinking, and, of course, eating. In Italy aperitivo hour starts every night from around 6-9 PM at local cafes, bars, hotels, and restaurants. Italians and tourists alike take part in drinks and snacks while they unwind and catch up with friends before their evening meal filled with polenta, pasta, short rib ragu, pici, gnocchi, pizza and gelato.
Classic Italian aperitifs like vermouth, Campari, and Aperol are served at aperitivo hour with a complimentary selection of snacks like olives, crackers, cured meat and cheese.
We suggest ordering an Espresso Negroni Cocktail after sailing through the canals in Venice, luxury car hopping in Modena, tanning on the beach in Amalfi, visiting the Pantheon in Rome, exploring Italian Renaissance treasures in The Vatican, Armani and contemporary art shopping in Milan, touring the tower in Pisa, and enjoying a Honeymoon in Tuscany with stops in Siena, Sorano, Pitigliano, Saturnia, and Volterra.
What Coffee To Use In A Negroni?
There are many ways to add coffee flavour to a Negroni. We prefer to use a freshly pulled shot of espresso but you’ve got plenty of options!
- Espresso: if you have an espresso machine at home pull a shot and pour it into the drink moments before serving. We used our Nespresso maker to make this Espresso Negroni.
- Cold Brew: is the process of steeping coffee grounds in water at cool temperatures for an extended period. Coarse-ground beans are soaked in water for about 12 to 24 hours. In 2023 the espresso martini became the trendy drink of choice once again, often prepared with cold brew by bartenders at fancy cocktail bars as the product is high quality and already chilled. You can also use cold brew to make a Coffee Negroni.
- Drip Coffee: every morning I like to make a large pot of drip coffee to wake up to the world. I usually have a few cups left over that I can’t finish so store it in the fridge so it’s cold and can be enjoyed as iced coffee in the afternoon. You can also use chilled coffee in this recipe.
- Coffee Liqueur: you can add 1oz of Kahlua or Tia Maria to give the cocktail extra coffee flavour.
Cocktail Ingredients
Our Espresso Negroni recipe is made with premium ingredients.
- Campari: red-coloured herb infused aperitif from Italy that is the key ingredient in a Negroni.
- Gin: we suggest using Bombay Sapphire, The Botanist or Aviation Gin.
- Red Vermouth: Martini Rosso adds a sweetness to the Italian cocktail.
- Espresso: we like to use Nespresso pods for convenience but you can also use an espresso maker, cold brew or chilled drip coffee.
- Garnish: garnish the cocktail with an orange twist or peel.
Espresso Negroni Cocktail Recipe Tips
This Espresso Negroni recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes.
We love serving Coffee Negroni cocktails as a boozy beverage at brunch or as an aperitivo at an Italian dinner party.
If you find the cocktail to be too bitter feel free to add a squeeze of orange juice or splash of soda water.
Our homemade Espresso Negroni is listed for one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a punch bowl or jug rather than a cocktail shaker.
Add additional coffee flavour by stirring in 1oz of Kahlua or Tia Maria.
Serve the drink in an ice filled rocks glass garnished with an orange peel.
You May Also Enjoy These Campari & Aperol Recipes…
- Garibaldi Cocktail Campari Orange Juice
- Negroni Sour Cocktail
- Negroski Vodka Negroni Cocktail
- Summer Strawberry Negroni Cocktail
- Negroni Spritz Cocktail
- Aperol Tequila Cocktail
- Aperol Negroni Cocktail
- Aperol Aquavit Cocktail
- Aperol Gin Cocktail
Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a swanky Espresso Negroni soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.
- Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
- Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
- Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
- Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
- Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
- Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
- Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
- Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
- Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
- Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
- Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
- Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
- Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
- Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
- Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
- Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.
How To Make An Easy Coffee Espresso Negroni Recipe
Espresso Coffee Negroni
Equipment
- Nespresso Machine
- Jigger
- Rocks glass
- Bar Spoon
- Ice Cubes
Ingredients
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Espresso Coffee
- Orange Peel garnish
Instructions
- In an ice-filled rocks glass add gin, vermouth and campari. Gently stir to combine with a bar spoon.
- Add the the orange slice to the glass.
- Use a large spoon to gently pour the espresso into the glass.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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