The Negroni: A Love Affair with a Classic Cocktail

by Matt Hranek

A CENTURY AGO THE COCKTAIL ACHIEVED PERFECTION when, according to legend, Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender in Florence to stiffen an Americano by replacing the soda water with gin. The world never looked back. With its cosmically simple 1:1:1 ratio, its balance of bitter and sweet, its pleasant kick, its aura of sophistication, the Negroni has bewitched cocktail lovers ever since. Perhaps none more so than Matt Hranek, who intones this love song to his favorite drink and offers a curated collection of recipes, both the classic and dozens of variations, deviations, and delicious reinterpretations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Food, Food and Drink

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 25, 2021

Reviews

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not a Negroni neophyte; my first clear memory of Negroni experiments goes back roughly five years (2016) to recipe testing the basic recipe and variations from Kara Newman’s (then) newly published equinox cocktail book. The equinox Negroni tasted like Campari; the Boulevardier tasted like bourbon; the Old Pal tasted like Campari. But I wasn’t about to give up on the Negroni and its variations: those experiments were just the beginning of an exploration of all things Negroni on the Internet and in real life. Eventually, I figured out a Negroni variation that I enjoyed enough to fix as the standard bottled cocktail for the pre-Covid dinner parties in my home; it was made with 1 1/2 parts decent gin, 3/4 parts sweet red vermouth, and 3/4 parts Aperol.

My acquisition of this book was just another facet of my exploration of all things Negroni. Because I love a good Negroni despite my hatred for Campari, I was hoping that this book would offer recipe variations that were gin-forward with amari other than Campari. I found a few of those; however, of those few, the specific amari used in the recipes were unfamiliar to me and possibly unavailable in New England.

This book is clearly a passion project for the author, but at times the tone borders on a vanity project. It’s neither deeply researched nor comprehensive. Roughly one in three pages has a drink recipe on it, which totals out to about thirty recipes in approximately one hundred pages. Every recipe is from a bar that he has been to, by a bartender with whom he’s talked. The bars are mostly in Europe, where he vacations and otherwise travels. The remainder of the recipe section are quotes from the featured bartenders (and a few others) about the Negroni, beautiful photos of Italy, artistically staged photos of drinks, and vintage ads for Italian amari.

My sister and sister-in-law love Negronis more than I do, but I would not gift this book to them. It’s gorgeous, glossy, and well put together; however, it’s not worth the scarce shelf space in their cramped living quarters. I found about the same number of recipes on the Imbibe Negroni Week recipe page alone, and a web link takes up no additional space.

I have yet to make any recipes from this book; however, if I can find my Campari, I may try the recipe for barrel-aged Negronis with dried figs in short order.

[Theo Luiggi · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a good primer and introduction to the negroni and it’s variations, the author seems genuinely incurious about the more creative variations on the negroni, preferring instead to stick to recipes that are more closely aligned with the original. He also shows that he had no more than a rudimentary understanding of spirits. This keeps it from getting a full 5 stars from me, but the layout and the genuine fondness for the drink the comes through in the writing still make me reccomend this to people who love the Negroni.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I just want to go on a road trip around Italy tasting negronis and eating pizza 😎😂

[Ben Stiefel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great list of riffs and spiffs on the classic. Some are slightly adventurous, most are very close to the original. In all, a good reference for trying to expand your Negroni repertoire.

[Natalia Weissfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

-ARC provided by publisher in exchange for honest review-

What a trip! This book is a beauty.
It tells the history of the drink loved by italians, the Negroni. A celebration of the drink itself and a guided tour through a number of unorthodox variations of the iconic original recipe (1 part bitter, 1 part sweet vermouth, 1 part gin garnished with orange) and the hotest places to taste them throughout Europe and the USA. Beautiful pictures and old fashioned advertising fill the pages with color and charm. The author even provides a guide of types of glassware and suggested snacks to enjoy this drink.
Is a must have in every mixology library and perfect for display in your home bar.

[Kyle Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as simple, beautiful, and invigorating as its main protagonist, the Negroni. The stories and recipes inspire you to live better, be happier, and embrace life to the fullest while still having that warm embrace of time spent with close friends. As I sip my Negroni and read this book, I feel that I am in deep conversation with Matt about more than just a cocktail, but rather, a lifestyle. Pour yourself a drink and let this book take you to Italy and beyond. You won’t regret it.

[Caroline Fontenot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book for the fellow Negroni obsessed human, as I am. I’ve got a lot of riffs to start trying ❤️

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little coffee table book with some nice riffs on the classic cocktail.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reading. Some very good quotes and recipes.

[Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Light hearted and entertaining look at the Negroni and its many variations. With beautiful pictures and occasional delightful quotes.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has written two simple books about two different simple cocktails. Like the author, I prefer the Negroni over the Martini as a cocktail, unfortunately I prefer his book The Martini: Perfection in a Glass over this one on the Negroni.

There just doesn’t seem to be as many interesting things to say about the Negroni, or as many interesting variants to try. It has caused me to try out some different vermouths and bitters though, so I’m not sad I read it.

[Kurt Ronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of history around the Negroni. My favorite traditional is Plymouth gin, Antico vermouth, and Campari 1:1:1 over ice with 1/2 orange slice. My favorite for multiple Negroni is one I learned from the Campari family. 2 parts Campari, split punt e mes and Hendricks gin 1/2 and 1/2 to make the final 1/3. Pour over 7 ice cubes. Stir to add melted ice. Pour over ice cubes and serve with 1/2 orange slice. This Negroni has less than an ounce of alcohol so you can pace yourself until dinner.

I’ve been on an epic quest for the world’s best Negroni for over 10 years. I’ve learned it’s not the cocktail, it’s the experience.

Cheers Count.

[Red__Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about my favorite cocktail is direct and breezy to read, with helpful insight into enhancing my home negroni-making process. Some of the recipes are useless find-and-replace of one ingredient with another, however I did not mind this one bit, as the art design of this volume is impeccable. Should I ever have the privilege of having a home bar I hope to adorn it with vintage posters of bitter liquors and vermouths like those shown herein. This book will remain on my bar cart for future reference.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's clear the author loves the drink, and he has a passion to write about it.

I think this is a good coffee table book, but it's not as much something to read through cover to cover on a Kindle like I did. I guess I'm not wholly sure what I expected from this book, but I was still left underwhelmed, particularly by the recipes in the back. Some of the variants were interesting, but several of the recipes are just the standard recipe, repeated.

[Alec Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful companion to the author's The Martini, The Negroni captures this fabled cocktail with recipes, ruminations and photographs that inspire the appetite and imagination. I recommend that you order this book from your local bookseller, and have plenty of gin, Compari and sweet vermouth on hand for its arrival. Hope to see a third volume from Matt.

[Iah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy oddly specific books and this one about the Negroni which is definitely one of the best drinks ever invented is a delight. It tours round bars and hotels who have their own version.
It's amazing how many variations exist on a simple cocktail.

[Brage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m at the other end of the spectrum of Negroni-enthusiasts, just starting my love for the cocktail, and this book left me wanting more. It’s a ok book, and I would put this in the category “coffee table books”; it’s short on info, but sure looks nice.

[Mihael Širka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Negroni is my favourite cocktail by far. There is always a bottle of gin, Campari, and vermouth at home. This book showed me so many different variations that I must try in future. If you're a Negroni lover this book is definitely for you.

[Chase McAnally · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Negroni lover, this is an essential read. Great photos that make you want to visit all of the Italian locations that the author refers to.

[Phil Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful character study of how a Negroni distances itself from other red Italian aperitifs, while still remaining accessible

[Dani Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a big drinker BUT when I do it’s a Negroni. I love trying restaurants/bars interpretation of their own Negroni.

[TAB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not unlike the subject matter, this is a well balanced little book. Equal parts coffee table book, recipe book and pocket travel guide, it digs into the history of the Negroni and explores modern and futuristic riffs. I’m not sure if I would ever want to share a drink with the author, he just doesn’t strike me as my type of dandy, but I appreciate his research and work nevertheless.

Biggest takeaway, Campari is not the only aperitif bitter out there, seek out others, I’ve got two coming in the mail today.

[Kyle Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as simple, beautiful, and invigorating as its main protagonist, the Negroni. The stories and recipes inspire you to live better, be happier, and embrace life to the fullest— or make you want to have a Negroni, which is cool too. As I sip my Negroni and read this book, I feel that I am in deep conversation with Matt about more than just a cocktail, but rather, a lifestyle. So pour yourself a drink and let this book take you to Italy and beyond. You won’t regret it.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Negroni

[Cristhian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó más como un libro de viajes que de cocktails. Viendo las fotos del Hotel Vesubio y Il Pelicanno me dieron ganas de conocer Italia.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bit of everything: history of the drink, personal anecdotes, vintage photos, variation recipes. Delightful

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s not to love about a book about negronis? Love the passion, even if some of the cocktail recipes start to feel repetitive.