I am addicted to Negronis. Legend says that it was invented at in Florence, Italy, in 1919 when one Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender Forsco Scarselli of Caffe Casoni to amp up his Americano cocktail (Campari, sweet red vermouth, soda water), so he swapped gin for the soda water. It is wondrous in its simplicity. But you can add some complexity and a layer of sophistication by using a trick I learned when I was the wine critic for the Washington Post. Wineries that wanted the flavor of oak barrels but couldn’t afford them tossed wood chips in the wine. It works fine on wine, and on Negronis, extracting a vanillin flavor.
By the way, I have since discovered that the smart folks at PolyScience make something similar in a sous vide bath and steep it at 165°F for 24 hours. I tried it. The results have a brooding Bourbon-like character but lose the brightness. I prefer it without the s-v.
Makes. 2 cocktails
Takes. 24 hours
Special tools. Butane or propane torch
4 ounces wood chips by weight
4 ounces good quality gin
4 ounces Campari
4 ounces good quality sweet red vermouth
4 lemon zests about 2-inches long and 1/2-inch wide
About the wood chips. Use nutwood, fruitwood, or hardwood chips.
1| Torch. Go outside and put the chips on a metal surface like a griddle or in a pan. Hit them with a torch until they are all glowing or smoldering. When about half are black, pour them into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the whole shootin’ match into a jar and cap it for at least 24 hours.
2| Strain and pour into rocks glasses with ice cubes and an orange slice. The wood absorbs about 3 ounces leaving you with two 4 1/2 ounce cocktails.
Comment