Sweet, bitter, herbaceous and just the right level of boozy, the noble negroni ticks all the boxes on the perfect cocktail checklist. So the question is: how do you improve something that’s perfect?
Equal parts vermouth, Campari and gin, it’s hard to cock up a negroni. But at the same time, with such a wealth of incredible gins on the market, this is your opportunity to change up your regular negroni for something really special.
We’ve put together a quick list of 7 Aussie gins that will amp up your negroni just in time for World Negroni Week, which celebrates this wonderful drink in a multitude of ways.
This list not only gives you agency to create bar-worthy negronis at home, but also to know what to look for when you’re out.
A powerful, robust and earthy gin, Poor Toms Fool’s Cut is a potent spirit perfect for the bold flavours of a negroni.
Liquorice root, pepper, cardamom, coriander seed, angelica root, cinnamon and grapefruit all combine with the pushy 52% ABV and triple-infusion of juniper to bring a unique yet classic gin.
From Marrickville in Sydney’s Inner West, this is a gin for the ages. And your negroni of course!
Vibrant in both colour and taste, this clever creation from Stone Pine Distillery in Bathurst, NSW is a beautiful base for your negroni.
Owner-distiller of Stone Pine, Ian Glen, has masterfully combined his classic Dry Gin with the sharp sherbety tang of fresh rhubarb.
The rhubarb imparts a natural pink to this gin and adds greater depth of colour to a negroni, while its fresh flavours lift the herbaceous notes in the drink too.
This knock-your-socks-off gin sets all cocktails alight, but Ester’s Strong Gin really makes sure those gin flavours shine through a negroni best of all.
With its massive 57%ABV, and coriander, cardamom and native finger lime botanicals, this Sydneysider gin builds a solid base for the other elements of your negroni to balance on while firm bursts of juniper, eucalyptus and earthy citrus lift your drink, simply making you want another.
Full of pep and zing from fresh ginger root and ruby grapefruit, the Ginger Mick Gin from Little Lon Distillery in Melbourne’s CBD is really how you elevate your negroni above the rest.
Crisp, bright, a hint of ginger heat and a thrust of citrus sour, this gin is a masterpiece on its own. But when you put it with a full-bodied vermouth and the sharp-sweet of Campari, the Ginger Mick comes alive.
Nothing goes in a negroni better than orange, right? So this Blood Orange Gin from 36 Short Distillery in Adelaide’s northern outskirts is an obvious choice.
Surrounded in a slightly sweet, lightly spiced jacket, the firm yet balanced citrus from the distilled blood orange peel stands up in a negroni perfectly - you might even want to pull back on the Campari a little.
When you dial up the amount of juniper in gin the way the guys at Never Never Distilling have, all those floral, sharp, spicy, grassy, earthy flavours you get from this unique berry shine through in a negroni beautifully.
With its other botanicals of coriander seed, liquorice, angelica and orris roots, lime and lemon peels, Australian pepper berry and cinnamon, Never Never’s Triple Juniper Gin is the ideal ‘gingredient’ to build on your classic negroni flavours.
Truly one of a kind, this gin from renowned Yarra Valley distillery Four Pillars has been crafted specifically with the negroni in mind.
Along with that distinctive orange citrus note Four Pillars is known for, the distillers have added West African spice grains of paradise and Indonesian cubeb, creating a leading edge to go with earthy, sharp trappings of juniper.
The result is a negroni you’re not likely to forget.
Of course, you could always just go straight to the source. Crafted by Sydney bartender Wil Eastley, this 1-litre bottle of perfectly blended negroni cocktail means all you need to do is chill, pour and enjoy.
Made with Stone Pine Distillery’s Dry Gin, Regal Rogue Bold Red Vermouth and Bitter Orange Liqueur, this true blue Aussie pre-mix is the perfect way to get straight down to business this World Negroni Week!