A great Negroni isn’t specific to any single season, but something about the warm weather seems to perfectly suit the iconic Italian cocktail. And as with all mixed drinks that include only a few ingredients, the choice of each is of critical importance. Campari is a given, and it’s worth playing with a wide range of vermouths to find your desired profile. But the gin you choose can completely change the character of the cocktail.
Gin can come in a range of styles, and the nature of the spirit, which can utilize a staggering array of botanicals and ingredients to shape the aroma and flavor profile, makes it one of the most varied types of liquor. This means, for those seeking a seasonally appropriate Negroni, pairing the right type of gin to warm weather is paramount for the perfect drink. Ideally it should be a gin that emphasizes crisp and clean notes, alongside summer aromatics that often include citrus forward aspects.
After tasting through a variety of gins currently available on store shelves, we’ve narrowed down 10 options that are a must for a summer Negroni. Here’s what you should try.
Dyfi Gin
Food & Wine / Dyfi Distillery
Crafted using hand-foraged botanicals, this small-batch Welsh gin finds a spectacular balance between aromatic and earthy notes. It’s sweet, woodsy, and floral at once, and would work best with a more delicate vermouth to create a great Negroni that channels its natural elements without any overpowering the drink.
Elena Gin
Food & Wine / Elena Spirits
The label calls this gin “London Dry and in the Langa style,” a reference to the part of Italy’s Piedmont region where it’s produced — specifically, Serralunga d’Alba, which is known for its standout wines made from Barolo. Juniper, black elderflower, wild mint, chinotto peel, and maritime alpine juniper lift this one to aromatic heights, and allow it to play brilliantly with the Campari of a Negroni and remain refreshing.
Engine Organic Gin
Food & Wine / Engine
Produced in Italy’s Piedmont region, this gin is deeply rooted in the local landscape. Italian wheat is used for the base spirit, and juniper from Tuscany appears alongside Calabrian licorice root and sage from Piedmont. Each of these ingredients comes together to create a gin that shines just as brightly in a Gin & Tonic as in a Negroni or a Vesper.
FID Street Gin
Food & Wine / Haliʹimaile Distilling Co.
This Maui-crafted gin creates a fascinating tension between the briskness of a classic London Dry style and the use of subtropical, Hawaiian botanicals. It’s juniper-forward, but that note is framed with pineapple and lavender from Maui, as well as classic additions like orris root, angelica, and citrus peel. This does very well in a Negroni with a lighter vermouth, for those seeking something with brisker flavor to complement the season.
Ford’s London Dry Gin
Food & Wine / Fordâs Gin
Clean and complex, with juniper complicated by coriander, jasmine, and grapefruit, this bar stalwart is as versatile as any on the market. As such, it’s a great go-to for a range of cocktails, including a Negroni, which is particularly bracing when based on this gin.
Isle of Harris Gin
Food & Wine / Isle of Harris Distillery
Crafted on the Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, this gin stands out for its use of locally foraged sugar kelp, create a unique seaside influence. That unique ingredient is joined by more classic juniper, licorice root, and cassia bark, resulting in a gin with a subtle salinity, a distinct herbal character, and a woodsy and vaguely citric note of coriander that freshens up a Negroni beautifully.
Mirabeau Riviera Dry Rosé Gin
Food & Wine / Maison Mirabeau
This gin looks like Southern French rosé in the bottle, which is appropriate given it originates not far from Saint-Tropez. Based on a neutral grape spirit, this gin that sings with aromatic notes of lavender, rose petals, and jasmine, which sit alongside citrus and herbal notes. Altogether, it’s a fantastic choice for an elegant Negroni that offers the complexity of a season in full bloom.
Revivalist Garden Gin
Food & Wine / Revivalist Spirits
The fresh, slightly woodsy character of this Pennsylvania gin screams warm-weather cocktails, perhaps evidenced best by its ingenious cap, in the shape of a classic garden-hose handle. It anchors a Negroni well, especially if you garnish it with a singed stem of fresh rosemary tucked between the orange wheel and the side of the glass.
Suncliffe Arizona Dry Gin
Food & Wine / Suncliffe
LGBTQ- and woman-owned and operated, this Arizona gin leverages three junipers native to the state, as well as other locally foraged botanicals that include elderflower and the bark of Ponderosa pines. The result is a gin that reflects the balance of sweet and bitter make that works perfectly in a cocktail built on the same structure.
Wildwood Spirits Co. Kur Gin
Food & Wine / Wildwood Spirits Co.
This gin is London Dry in style but built on a base of red winter wheat from Washington State and influenced by Braeburn apples and Douglas fir from the backyard of founder Erik Liedholm. The juniper sings with clarity, and the cardamom and coriander make for a well-spiced Negroni.
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