Mezcal Negroni: Bitter, Sweet and Smoky
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With its fusion of Italian and Mexican liquors, the Mezcal Negroni is a riff on the original Negroni. It’s like the classic but better… and smokier!
Have you ever tried a Mezcal Negroni?
That simple question has taken us down a mixology journey that started with the purchase of a bottle of mezcal. It hasn’t ended yet. This is a drink where new and old worlds collide – a unique concoction where the Zocalo meets the Piazza Navona to create a cocktail that’s arguably better than the original.
Thanks to its bitter, sweet and smoky flavors, the Mezcal Negroni is currently our favorite Negroni. If you enjoy sipping complex cocktails with a smoky edge, it might be your favorite Negroni too.
Discover more Negroni variations.
What Is the Mezcal Negroni?
The Mezcal Negroni is essentially a Negroni crafted with mezcal instead of gin. That seemingly simple switcheroo creates a cocktail that’s simultaneously bitter, sweet and smoky.
With one sip, you’ll wonder where this cocktail has been all your life. But then, after that initial sip, you’ll be happy that you’ve found it. Crafting a Mezcal Negroni at home will make you even happier since it’s so easy to do.
History of the Mezcal Negroni
We’d love to tell a story about how an Italian bartender moved to Mexico and melded his home country’s most iconic cocktail with his adopted country’s equally iconic liquor. But that would be a Mezcal Negroni fable.
Since our research didn’t reveal a definitive origin story for the Italy-meets-Mexico cocktail, we don’t know which mixologist deserves credit for the ingenious move of replacing gin with mezcal. It’s possible that credit goes to a creative customer – after all, the original Negroni was created when Camillo Negroni requested an Americano crafted with gin instead of soda water more than a century ago.
Ingredients
You need the following items to craft a Mezcal Negroni at home:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How to Craft a Mezcal Negroni
Once you gather the necessary ingredients plus a few basic bar tools, the first step is to measure equal amounts of Campari, mezcal and sweet vermouth. As always, we use a Japanese jigger to ensure accurate measurements and minimize spillage.
Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.
Pour each liquor directly into a mixing glass.
Add a handful of ice cubes and stir the three liquors with a bar spoon until they’re chilled and combined (approximately 20 seconds).
Drop a jumbo ice cube into a lowball glass and then strain the mixed cocktail into the glass.
Pro Tip
Using a jumbo ice cube is key for this cocktail since the bitter, sweet and smoky flavors of the Mezcal Negroni evolve as the ice cube slowly melts.
Garnish the crafted cocktail with an orange peel or wheel.
We garnished this Mezcal Negroni with a dehydrated orange wheel. Bonus points if you do the same.
Variations
The Mezcal Negroni’s 1:1:1 ratio is a tried and true formula that’s hard to beat. The same goes for its orange peel/wheel garnish. Instead of messing with these elements of success, consider the following variations:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Mezcal Negroni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces Campari
- 1 1/2 ounces mezcal
- 1 1/2 ounces vermouth (sweet)
- 1 orange peel or wheel (garnish)
- ice cubes (for shaking)
- 1 jumbo ice cube (for serving)
Instructions
- Pour Campari, mezcal and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass.
- Add a handful of ice cubes and mix with a bar spoon until the three liquids are chilled and combined (approximately 20 seconds).
- Drop a jumbo ice cube into a lowball glass and strain the mixture into the glass.
- Garnish with a strip of orange peel or an orange wheel.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
A Mezcal Negroni is a riff on the classic Negroni that’s crafted with mezcal instead of gin.
While we know that the Negroni was invented in Italy and that mezcal is produced in Mexico, the origin of the Mezcal Negroni is a mystery.
Campari, Mezcal, Sweet Vermouth, Orange Peel or Wheel (garnish), Ice Cubes (for shaking) and a Jumbo Ice Cube
The Mezcal Negroni is stirred, not shaken.
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