16 Dec 12 Drinks of Christmas: Negroni Contadino

12 Drinks of Christmas: Negroni Contadino

For the 8th drink of Christmas my true love served to me … a Negroni Contadino. It’s our 8th of 12 drink ideas to make your holiday parties and quiet nights by the fire merry and bright.

We told you about how we embraced its popularity and headed on over to Founding Farmers. We were expecting a farm-to-table feast (which we got) but were blown away by the farm-to-table drinks. We’re suckers for Negronis and given any excuse to order one, I do. In this case, what got me was a) the use of an amaro I’d never heard of and b) the addition of grapefruit foam.

Upon my first sip, I again declared my love for all variations of the Negroni, immediately added “find Amaro Nonino” to my shopping list, and peppered the bartender with a 1,000 questions about what exactly is grapefruit foam.

Despite a kind explanation, I still didn’t entirely understand what grapefruit foam is and definitely determined that I couldn’t make it at home. We played around by adding grapefruit juice proportions until we got it just right.

A traditional Negroni calls for equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. In this drink the Amaro Nonino is swapped for the sweet vermouth. Amaros are herbal liqueurs. Despite amaro meaning bitter in Italian they often don’t have a terribly bitter taste. They’re soft to the palette especially when compared to French herbal liqueurs, which have a bit more bite.

Amaro Nonino tastes like caramel, and almonds and a little bit of herb, and it rings with holiday cheer. It adds a complexity and a hint of sweetness to the bitter orange Campari. I would have never guessed to add a touch of grapefruit, but trust us it’s the right move.

Make it for yourself. Make it for a party. If you’re not a fan of the bitter orange Campari, swap the Amaro  Nonino for the Campari and keep the sweet vermouth.

Ingredients

For you

• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz Amaro Nonino
• 1/2 oz grapefruit juice
• grapefruit for garnish

For your friends

• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup Campari
• 1 cup Amaro Nonino
• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
• 1-2 grapefruits for garnish
• Club soda (optional)

Instructions

• Pour vodka, campari, amaro, and grapefruit juice together in mixer or pitcher
• If making for one:
  • add ice and shake for 20 seconds
  • Strain into cocktail glass
  • Garnish with grapefruit
• If making for a group
  • stir for 1 minute
  • refrigerate for an hour
  • right before serving add ice and top with club soda (optional)