Aviation
45 ml Gin, 15 ml Maraschino liqueur, 15 ml Lemon juice, 7.5 ml Crème de violette, 1 Maraschino cherry
Photo: Negroni served in Vancouver BC by Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada · CC BY 2.0 · All credits
Ingredients
Measures below are multiplied for 6 drinks. Unmeasurable amounts such as “a splash” are left as written.
- 180 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 180 ml line. Gin
- 180 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 180 ml line. Campari
- 180 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 180 ml line. Sweet vermouth
- 6 slices Orange slice (optional)
Measured in Millilitres (UK). Sign in to read these in American measures. Print a kitchen card at this size.
What the jigger, the spoons and the jug hold, in millilitres and in fluid ounces, is on the measures reference.
Quick version
- Stir equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth over ice.
- Strain over a big cube and add an orange slice.
Method
Pitcher (6 drinks)Pitcher (6 drinks) - about 540 ml of measured ingredients, before ice and dilution.
Timings and per-glass steps below are written for one drink and are not scaled. A full jug takes longer to chill, so stir or shake until it is properly cold rather than by the clock, and pour over fresh ice one glass at a time.
- Add the gin, Campari and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 20 to 30 seconds to chill and dilute.
- Strain into a rocks glass over one large cube.
- Garnish with a generous slice of orange.
Serve it
Volumes in this story are multiplied for the size above, along with the ingredients. Years, ratios and the capacities of glasses and jugs are left as written.
Negroni
In Florence in 1919, Count Camillo Negroni asked for his Americano with gin in place of the soda water. The bartender obliged, and gave the world a drink that has not needed changing since: equal parts, three ingredients, one slice of orange, no argument.
Getting it right
Equal parts is the classic and the place to start; once you know the drink, nudge the gin up and the vermouth down until it is yours. Stir rather than shake, because you want clarity and not foam, and stir for longer than feels necessary - this is a strong, sweet drink and the ice is doing real work. Chill the glass first. The orange slice is not decoration either: squeeze it over the top, wipe it round the rim, and drop it in.
Tasting notes
Orange peel and bitter herbs up front, then a long, sweet, faintly woody finish. Bitter enough to be grown-up, sweet enough to be a treat, and the best drink there is for starting an evening or planning one.
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