Negroni Week with Pickering's Gin

Happy Negroni Week to all who celebrate! A Negroni is a firm favourite cocktail here at Summerhall Distillery and we like to experiment so we've created a little twist on a classic. But first, who created The Negroni?

The Negroni was created in Italy in the early 20th Century when Count Camilo Negroni told his bartender he wanted gin in his Americano (Campari, Vermouth and Soda), thus inventing a hugely popular cocktail. But wait! Recent research has revealed that Camillo Negroni never actually existed. What this reminds us is that people who made the cocktails were also drinking the cocktails, hence the stories that grew up around tend to be a bit... colourful. Nevertheless, a wonderful cocktail was created by someone at some point in the past. Fact.

Our version uses a lavender-infused Vermouth that we make ourselves. We mix dried lavender with Bianco Vermouth at a ratio of 10:1 Vermouth to flowers. We leave it to macerate for at least 48 hours then strain out the flowers. Our Negroni uses the classic 1:1:1 but the infused Vermouth lends a floral sharpness and burnt vanilla flavour to the overall drink.  

The Recipe

25ml Pickering's Gin
25ml Campari
25ml Lavender Vermouth

Method

Add everything to an ice-filled rocks glass and stir gently for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Rim your chilled rocks glass with oils of pink grapefruit and garnish with a dried flower. Enjoy!