A Negroni is a classic gin cocktail, but you can make a variety of riffs on it by switching up the base spirit or by adding other ingredients. One of my photography clients, Steel Dust Vodka, makes a corn-based (and therefore gluten-free) vodka in Texas. I though it would make a great Negroni, and I was right.
The classic Negroni is equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Campari is a bitter Italian liqueur called an amaro. It's traditional to have a bit of amaro as an aperitivo (a pre-dinner drink) because they are lower in alcohol than a spirit. I personally don't use Campari because it's colored with artificial coloring. Instead, I prefer to use other amari (the plural of amaro) that are colored with cochineal. (Okay, full disclosure: cochineal is derived from crushed insects. So while it's not artificial, it's not vegan.)
I also swapped out the sweet vermouth for allspice dram, which is a rum-based liqueur with a bunch of spices added (yes, including allspice). It's delicious, and I feel like it gives everything a nice warmth.
TEXAS NEGRONI
1 1/2 oz. Steel Dust vodka
3/4 oz. Leopold Bros. Aperitivo
1/2 oz. allspice dram
Whole cloves
Orange peel
Peel a wide swath from an orange. Trim the sides with a sharp knife. Stud a few whole cloves into it and twist it around a pencil or chopstick, then set aside. Combine liquids in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with the orange twist. (Remove the pencil or chopstick first, obviously.)
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