The Story Behind The Tequila Negroni

The Negroni is a classic cocktail that the world has fallen back in love with over the past few years, and with good reason, because it’s absolutely delicious. Beautiful in its simplicity – just a mix of equal parts Campari, gin and sweet vermouth over ice, the cocktail is so perfect in fact that you might ask, why mess with a good thing? Because experimentation is the catalyst for innovation! Plus, it’s just fun.

Dissecting the classic recipe we decided to substitute the gin with blanco Tequila and add some 18.21 Blood Orange + Ginger Shrub to give this cocktail some extra flair. The tequila really works well to balance the bitterness of the Campari and adds some fresh agave essence without removing the complete flavor profile of the Negroni we all enjoy.

The shrub from 18.21 was introduced to create a little wow factor for your taste buds as the cocktail was still too similar to the classic and we wanted it to stand out from the crowd. We found the blood orange did a great job of integration with the profile of the Campari and the addition of ginger really made this Negroni fresh and bright on the palate. We think you’ll absolutely love it

While this drink might seem unorthodox to some, we feel that rules are meant to be broken, and purists don’t know what they’re missing. If you feel the need to change up the garnish, swap out the orange twist for a dehydrated lime wheel. If you’re looking for a touch of oaky, vanilla sweetness, put down the blanco and give it a whirl with some aged tequila.

Ingredients

1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce blanco tequila
1/2 ounce 18.21 Blood Orange + Ginger Shrub
1½ cups Ice
Orange Twist for Garnish

Directions

Combine Campari, sweet vermouth, blanco tequila and 18.21 Blood Orange + Ginger Shrub into mixing glass.
Add 1 cup of ice and stir until chilled and diluted to you liking.
Strain the drink into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with an orange twist.