Learn how to make the best Negroni Sour cocktail recipe.
Take a trip to the scenic Amalfi Coast while sipping a quick & easy mixed drink prepared with Italy’s favourite aperitif.
This recipe is a combination of two classic mixed drinks: Negroni and Whiskey Sour. The creamy egg white foam that rests at the top of the glass contrasts nicely with the herbaceous bittern flavours of Campari.
Our Negroni Sour recipe is mixed in a cocktail shaker with ice, Campari, premium gin, sweet red vermouth, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and garnished with an orange peel.
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What Is A Negroni Sour?
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.
A Negroni Sour is a refreshing play on the classic Negroni and Whiskey Sour. The creamy egg white foam that rises to the top of the glass contrasts nicely with the herbaceous bittern flavours of Campari.
Other Sour Cocktails You Might Enjoy…
- Peach Whiskey Sour
- Amaretto Disaronno Sour
- Irish Whiskey Sour
- Scotch Sour Whisky Cocktail
- Hawaiian Whiskey Pineapple Sour Cocktail
- Tart Cherry Whiskey Sour Cocktail
Travel To Italy To Sip A Negroni Sour Cocktail
There’s no better way to familiarize yourself with a Negroni Sour cocktail 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 that vodka lovers order a Negroni Sour 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.
Negroni Sour Recipe Ingredients
Our simple Negroni Sour recipe is made with 6 ingredients.
- Campari: red-coloured herb infused aperitif from Italy that is the key ingredient in a Negroni.
- Gin: we suggest using Bombay Sapphire, Malfy or Botanist Gin.
- Martini Rosso: sweet red vermouth adds a sweetness to the celebratory cocktail.
- Lemon Juice: always use freshly squeezed lemon juice never store bought concentrate. You can taste the difference!
- Simple Syrup: the Negroni Sour is sweetened with homemade simple syrup. You can also use agave syrup if you prefer.
- Egg White: add one egg white to the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously to create the desired creamy foam.
- Orange Peel: garnish the cocktail with an orange peel or slice of orange.
Best Selling Gin
Gin has certainly enjoyed a boom in popularity at cocktail bars in recent years. You’ll find fantastic premium gins distilled from Scotland to Muskoka.
Here are some of the world’s best selling gins and some of our local small batch favourites:
- Gordon’s Gin: The world’s top selling gin brand is owned by Diageo. The brand’s pink iteration has undoubtedly helped to fuel its success. Gordon’s has also unveiled a line of new innovative products including two “ultra-low-alcohol” pre-mixed gin and tonic sparkling beverages and Gordon’s Gin-infused popsicles.
- Bombay Sapphire Gin: Bacardi-owned Bombay Sapphire is one of the worlds best-selling gins. Bombay Sapphire kicked off a new limited edition range with the launch of a gin inspired by summer in the English countryside.
- Tanqueray: Diageo-owned Tanqueray launched a new marketing campaign developed to shift consumers’ attention from “gimmicks” to flavour and unveiled a range of bottled ready-to-drink gin and tonics, made with its London Dry Gin and Flor de Sevilla Distilled Gin.
- Beefeater Gin: Pernod Ricard’s flagship gin brand is Beefeater. The brand launched strawberry-flavoured Beefeater Pink in 2018 and further expanded its portfolio with the debut of a new blood orange-flavoured gin.
- Seagram’s: Pernod Ricard-owned Seagram’s is a top seller having recently purchased Italian brand Malfy Gin.
- Hendrick’s Gin: Opened the door to its £13 million Gin Palace in 2018, allowing the brand to double its capacity to two million cases annually. The Scottish brand has also added to its portfolio with the launch of the limited edition summer solstice-inspired Midsummer Solstice gin.
- Edinburgh Gin: This craft distillery in Edinburgh produces a parade of flavoured gin bottles including rhubarb & ginger gin, raspberry gin, bramble & honey gin, black currant & anise, strawberry & pink peppercorn and pomegranate & rose.
- Dillon’s Distillery: This Beamsville producer makes small batch gins including rose gin, cherry gin and strawberry gin.
- Muskoka Brewery: This Ontario craft brewery produces a London Dry and spicy pink peppercorn gin.
Negroni Sour Cocktail Recipe Tips
This fabulous craft cocktail recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes!
We love serving Negroni Sours at Italian themed dinner parties all year round. They are popularly served in our family at summer barbecues, cottage happy hours and as an after dinner aperitif during the holidays.
You can make a vegan Negroni Sour by substituting egg white for aquafaba.
If you find the drink to be too boozy feel free to add a splash of soda water to the rocks glass before straining the contents of your cocktail shaker.
Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a swanky Negroni Sour 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.
You May Also Enjoy These Gin Recipes…
- Liquore Strega Saffron Yellow Gin Cocktail
- Easy Gin and Ginger Ale Cocktail
- Easy Gin and Coke Cocktail
- Sparkling Gin and Lemonade Cocktail
- Negroni Spritz Cocktail
- Clarified Gin and Milk Punch Cocktail
- Italian Prosecco and Gin Cocktail
- Raspberry Gin Fizz Chambord Cocktail
- Sour Lemon Blueberry Gin Cocktail
- Mango Gin Collins Cocktail
- Lavender Gin Cocktail Lemonade Fizz
- Malfy Grapefruit Gin & Rosemary Cocktail
- Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Cocktail
How To Make A Negroni Sour Cocktail Recipe
Negroni Sour Cocktail
Equipment
- Shot Glass
- Cocktail Shaker
- Rocks glass
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 oz Sweet Red Vermouth
- 1 oz Campari
- 1.5 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- 1 Egg White
- Orange Peel garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker dry shake the egg white for 30 seconds.
- Add the gin, vermouth, campari, lemon juice, and simple syrup then add ice and shake until cool and strain into a chilled coup glass.
- Garnish with orange peel.
Nutrition
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