Festive Spiced Negroni

Our Festive Spiced Negroni is a perfect cocktail for Christmas, crafted with a unique gin infused with holiday spices, balanced by Campari and sweet vermouth. This cocktail is all about warmth and celebration, perfect for sipping by the fire or serving at a holiday party. Stirred to perfection and served over ice, it offers a harmonious blend of spice, bitterness, and sweetness.

Unlike traditional Negronis, this rendition has a wintery charm, making it an ideal choice for the holiday season. With its beautiful ruby-red hue and complex flavors, the Spiced Negroni is not just a drink, it’s a centerpiece for your holiday table. 

And the best part? You can prepare this cocktail well in advance and store it in the fridge, saving you the hassle of stirring drinks on Christmas Eve.

Quick Facts About the Festive Spiced Negroni 

• Method: Stirred
• Flavor profile: Spicy, bitter-sweet, and aromatic
• How to serve it: In a rocks glass over fresh ice garnished with dehydrated orange and cinnamon stick
• Glassware: Rocks glass
• Alcohol content: ~ 24% ABV

Ingredients

• 1 oz Spiced Gin: Infuse gin with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel for 3–7 days to create a warm and aromatic base. For the best results, choose a high-quality gin as your starting point—Tanqueray is a great choice.
• 1 oz Campari: This is the ingredient I experiment with the least in a Negroni. This classic amaro delivers the perfect balance of bitterness and herbal notes, complementing the gin and pairing beautifully with the sweetness of the vermouth, all while adding a festive red hue.
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth (e.g., Antica Formula): Offers depth and sweetness, rounding out the spicy and bitter elements of the drink. One of my all-time favorites here is Antica Formula Vermouth.
• Garnish: A dehydrated orange slice and a cinnamon stick create an elegant presentation. For an extra touch of sophistication, consider adding a star anise.

How to Make the Spiced Gin

• 1 bottle of gin
• 4 pcs Star anise 
• 4 Cinnamon sticks 
• 6 Cloves 

Add all the ingredients into your bottle of gin, give it a quick shake, and infuse for 3 – 7 days depending on taste, then sieve.

Required Bartending Tools

• Mixing glass: Essential for stirring the ingredients with ice to achieve a perfectly chilled and well-balanced cocktail.
• Bar spoon: Ensures the cocktail is stirred evenly and reaches the perfect level of dilution.
• Hawthorne Strainer: Used to strain the cocktail into your glass, keeping out ice and any solids.

Step-by-Step Guide to Make this Spiced Negroni 

1. Prepare the spiced gin: Infuse a bottle of gin with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel for 3–7 days. For bolder flavors, I recommend infusing for at least 5 days. Once ready, strain to remove the solids.
2. Chill your mixing glass: Fill your mixing glass with ice (about 2/3) and let it sit for a minute to cool. Strain melted water before adding the ingredients.
3. Measure and pour ingredients: Add 1 oz of spiced gin, 1 oz of Campari, and 1 oz of sweet vermouth into the mixing glass.
4. Stir: Use a bar spoon to stir the mixture for 20–25 seconds until well-chilled.
5. Strain: Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
6. Garnish (optional): Add a small cinnamon stick and a dehydrated orange slice for a festive touch.

How to make a batch of Festive Spiced Negronis?

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Spiced gin 
• 8 oz Campari
• 8 oz Sweet vermouth
• 1 ½ oz Water (for dilution as we don't need to stir the drink)

Steps:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar or bottle and shake thoroughly to ensure they are well-mixed.
2. Securely place the container in the freezer for at least 4 hours (avoid storing it on the door). You can even do it a week in advance.
3. Serve over ice and garnish with a dehydrated orange slice and cinnamon.

Festive Spiced Negroni

You can never go wrong with a Negroni. For the holiday season, I recommend this twist using gin infused with wintery spices.

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Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes minutes

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Campari, Gin, Sweet vermouth

Servings: 1

Cost: $3

Equipment

• 1 Mixing glass
• 1 Bar spoon
• 1 Hawthorne Strainer

Ingredients

• 1 oz Spiced Gin
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1 Dehydrated orange slice
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

• Fill your mixing glass with ice (about 2/3) and let it sit for a minute to cool. Strain melted water before adding the ingredients.
• Add 1 oz of spiced gin, 1 oz of Campari, and 1 oz of sweet vermouth into the mixing glass.
• Use a bar spoon to stir the mixture for 20–25 seconds until well-chilled.
• Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
• Add a small cinnamon stick and a dehydrated orange slice for a festive touch.

Notes

How to Make the Spiced Gin

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of gin
• 4 pcs Star anise 
• 4 Cinnamon sticks 
• 6 Cloves 

Steps:

Add all the ingredients into your bottle of gin, give it a quick shake, and infuse for 3 – 7 days depending on taste, then sieve.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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