Someone at a dinner party told me the Negroni was "too bitter." This was said to me, specifically, in what appeared to be an attempt at conversation. I have thought about it since and I remain unable to explain what they expected.
The Negroni is: gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, equal parts, stirred, expressed orange peel. It is a perfect drink. It has been a perfect drink since Count Camillo Negroni asked his bartender — at Caffè Casoni in Florence, 1919, a fact I bring up frequently and without prompting — to strengthen his Americano.
On the Bitterness
Yes, it's bitter. Campari is bitter. This is the point. Bitterness in a cocktail provides structure, complexity, and something to pay attention to. If you want a drink with no bitterness, you want a drink with nothing to think about, and I question whether we have anything further to discuss.
On Ratios
The classic is equal parts. Some bartenders go 1:1:1.5 on the gin to let it speak more clearly, which I find acceptable. Some go heavier on the vermouth for sweetness, which I find forgivable in summer. What I do not find acceptable is a Negroni with a "splash" of Campari, which is not a Negroni, it's a disappointment in a glass.
On Gin
Use a London Dry gin. This is not the moment for a floral gin. Botanicals should support the Campari's bitterness, not compete with it. Tanqueray. Beefeater. Sipsmith. Something that knows what it's doing.
The Negroni needs no defense. I wrote one anyway. You're welcome.
Written By
Alfred C. O'Holic
Self-described authority on civilized drinking. Forty-three coupe glasses. Opinions on ice. Available for consultation, rarely.