Negroni Twists: Exclusive Bartender Variations + Free Recipe Ebook

There are classics you don’t mess with. Until you do. That’s why Campari invited some of the world’s most renowned bartenders, from Kyoto to Buenos Aires, to rethink the Negroni on their own terms. The result is a collection of bold, personal twists you’re unlikely to find in any standard cocktail guide, each one rooted in the original while pushing it somewhere new.

We’ve picked out a few of the standouts here, but the full collection lives in Campari’s downloadable ebook, The Alchemy of Negroni Twists. Consider this your sneak peek.

Why the Negroni is the cocktail bartenders love to reinvent

Three ingredients, countless possibilities. The Negroni’s beautifully simple structure gives bartenders plenty of room to play: the base spirit can change, vermouth can take on new flavours and unexpected ingredients and techniques can enter the mix. It’s why Negroni riffs can taste remarkably different while still nodding to the original.

But there’s one constant at the centre of it all: Campari (opens in new window). Its distinctive bitterness and unmistakable red colour give the cocktail its identity, leaving the other elements free to move around it. Think of it as the anchor that lets bartenders create a Negroni with a twist without losing sight of what made the drink a classic in the first place.

Madame Scolaro – the Cognac Negroni with a London story

The best bar rituals have a way of becoming bigger than the drink itself. For Jasmine Bouyer of Equal Parts in London, one of those rituals belonged to Madame Scolaro, a beloved regular who would return every Saturday, always beginning with a glass of Champagne. Even through the toughest times, she kept showing up with the same elegance, and a shared discovery of Pineau became another part of their weekly tradition.

Bouyer turned those memories into Madame Scolaro, a Negroni twist cocktail built around Campari, Cognac and dark chocolate Pineau. Walnut bitters deepen its round, slightly tannic and nutty character, while a hazelnut provides the finishing touch. It’s a cocktail about consistency and connection, and how a familiar ritual can become a memory worth raising a glass to.

Ingredients

• 25 ml Campari
• 25 ml Courvoisier VSOP (opens in new window)
• 25 ml Dark chocolate Pineau
• 1 dash Saline solution
• 1 dash Walnut bitters
• 1 Hazelnut, to garnish

Method

1. To make the dark chocolate Pineau, combine one part dark chocolate liqueur with two parts Pineau des Charentes Vieux.
2. Add the Campari, Cognac, dark chocolate Pineau, saline solution and walnut bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
3. Stir until well chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.
4. Garnish with a hazelnut.

Mariposa Verde – the green matcha Negroni from Madrid

Red is practically part of the Negroni dress code. Mariposa Verde didn’t get the memo. Created by Frederick Castillo at Ssspresso in Madrid, this head-turning green serve takes inspiration from the Spanish film La lengua de las mariposas. The idea behind it is fittingly unconventional: being different isn’t something to avoid, but something that can change the way we see things.

The transformation goes well beyond colour. Campari is joined by Bulldog Gin fat-washed with smoked cheese and red vermouth infused with lavender and elderflower, bringing together smoky, floral and herbal notes. Ceremonial-grade matcha adds another layer before a cloud of matcha foam completes the look. y to make you look twice.

Ingredients

• 30 ml Campari
• 30 ml Bulldog Gin (opens in new window), fat-washed with smoked cheese
• 30 ml Red vermouth, infused with lavender and elderflower
• 2.5 g Ceremonial-grade matcha tea
• Matcha tea foam, to garnish

Method

1. Infuse the red vermouth with lavender and elderflower for 20 minutes at room temperature.
2. Fat-wash the gin with smoked cheese in the freezer for 24 hours.
3. Prepare the matcha tea foam.
4. Add the Campari, infused gin, vermouth and matcha to a mixing glass with ice.
5. Stir until well chilled, then strain into a serving glass.
6. Top with matcha tea foam.

Castagnoni – the tequila Negroni with a ranch salt rim

Consider this the ultimate proof that a Negroni can still surprise you. Created by Ludovico De Biaggi of BASA in Buenos Aires, Castagnoni swaps gin for Espolòn Tequila, bringing its green, herbal character together with cashew-infused Campari and red vermouth infused with cocoa nibs. Nutty sweetness and rich cocoa notes give the drink an earthy, rounded edge.

But the real curveball is the ranch salt rim. Made with coarse salt, smoked paprika, onion powder and bouillon, it adds a savoury, lightly spicy contrast that changes with every sip. De Biaggi recommends pairing Castagnoni with spicy food and, frankly, we don’t need much convincing.

Ingredients

• 35 ml Cashew-infused Campari
• 35 ml Espolòn Tequila (opens in new window)
• 35 ml Red vermouth infused with cocoa nibs
• Ranch salt, for the rim

Method

1. To make the cashew-infused Campari, combine 150 g cashews with 500 ml Campari in a vacuum bag. Cook sous-vide at 60°C for 30 minutes, chill in an ice bath, fine-strain and refrigerate.
2. To make the cocoa-infused vermouth, repeat the process with 100 g cocoa nibs and 500 ml red vermouth.
3. Make the ranch salt by combining 100 g coarse salt, 100 g powdered chicken bouillon, 20 g smoked paprika and 20 g onion powder. Store in an airtight container.
4. Moisten the rim of a short glass, coat it with ranch salt and remove any excess.
5. Stir the infused Campari, tequila and infused vermouth with ice until well chilled.
6. Fine-strain into the prepared glass over one large ice cube.

Feeling inspired? How to Drink Tequila: Sipping, Serving and the Best Mixers

Hoji-Tea Negroni – Kyoto’s heritage tea twist

When a Negroni lands in Kyoto, you can expect a little precision and a lot of craft. Hiroyuki Yamada of Bee’s Knees builds his Hoji-Tea Negroni around hojicha with 300 years of heritage, infusing the roasted green tea into gin to bring a distinctly Japanese character to the Italian classic.

The tea’s deep, roasted notes meet Campari, sweet vermouth, coffee liqueur, bitter liqueur and chocolate bitters, creating a rich, velvety cocktail with layers of coffee and chocolate. A homemade melted chocolate garnish finishes the serve. For anyone fascinated by Japanese bartending culture, this is one twist worth lingering over.

Ingredients

• 10 ml Campari
• 20 ml Hojicha-infused gin
• 10 ml Sweet vermouth
• 5 ml Coffee liqueur
• 10 ml Bitter liqueur
• 3 dashes Chocolate bitters
• Homemade melted chocolate, to garnish

Method

1. To make the hojicha-infused gin, combine 500 ml gin with 20 g hojicha tea and infuse at room temperature for 15 minutes. Filter through a coffee filter and bottle.
2. Add the Campari, infused gin, sweet vermouth, coffee liqueur and bitter liqueur to a mixing glass with ice.
3. Stir until well chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.
4. Add three dashes of chocolate bitters on top.
5. Garnish with homemade melted chocolate.

Sayonara – the coconut and plum Negroni you can actually make at home

Some of these bartender creations call for serious kit and even more serious ambition. Sayonara, created by Manja Stankovic of Mimi Kakushi in Dubai, is the Negroni twist recipe that feels a little more within reach. Campari and sweet vermouth are joined by coconut oil fat-washed gin and umeshu, bringing subtle coconut and stone-fruit notes to a silky, bittersweet serve.

There’s a soundtrack to it, too. Stankovic created Sayonara as a tribute to Japanese jazz trumpeter Fumio Nanri, with his final recording, Black & Blue, chosen to accompany the cocktail. No elaborate garnish is needed: the focus stays on aroma, texture and the experience of sitting back with the drink and listening.

Ingredients

• 30 ml Campari
• 30 ml Coconut oil fat-washed gin
• 15 ml Sweet vermouth
• 15 ml Umeshu

Method

1. To make the fat-washed gin, gently combine 700 ml gin with 120 g coconut oil and leave to rest for 12 hours.
2. Freeze until the coconut oil has solidified, then fine-strain to remove the fat while retaining its subtle aroma.
3. Add the Campari, coconut oil fat-washed gin, sweet vermouth and umeshu to a mixing glass with ice.
4. Stir until well chilled and silky.
5. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or coupe glass and serve without a garnish.

Sharpen your skills: Fat-Washed Cocktails: Recipes, Tips, & Techniques

Lumen Negroni – the Negroni that lost its colour (on purpose)

How do you make the unmistakably red Negroni completely transparent and still keep its identity? Vladimir Zakharov of Korobok in Moscow decided to find out. Lumen Negroni takes spiced Campari and pairs it with smoky Montelobos Espadín Mezcal, Espolòn Blanco Tequila and a citrus liqueur packed with mandarin, lime and warm spice. The result looks nothing like the Negroni you know, and that’s entirely the point.

The disappearing act comes down to clarification: the cocktail is mixed with milk, which binds to particles in the drink so they can be filtered out, leaving the liquid clear while preserving its flavour. What remains is a golden, translucent serve with bittersweet, smoky, earthy and botanical notes, finished with blue raspberry chocolate.

Ingredients

• 22 ml Spiced Campari
• 7 ml Montelobos Espadín Mezcal (opens in new window)
• 15 ml Espolòn Blanco Tequila (opens in new window)
• 22 ml Citrus liqueur
• 15 ml Whole milk, for clarification
• Blue raspberry chocolate, to garnish

Method

1. To make the spiced Campari, combine 500 ml Campari with 10 g cassia, 1.5 g cloves and 3 g cardamom in a vacuum bag. Cook sous-vide at 63°C for 60 minutes, then cool, fine-strain and bottle.
2. Make the citrus liqueur by combining vodka with mandarin, lime and lemon juices, sugar, citrus zest and Timur pepper. Cook sous-vide at 60°C for 60 minutes, then cool and filter.
3. Combine the mezcal, tequila and spiced Campari, then pour the mixture into the milk.
4. Add the citrus liqueur to trigger separation, leave for five minutes, then pass the mixture through a coffee filter until clear.
5. Stir 80 ml of the clarified batch over a block of ice for 10 seconds.
6. Serve in a chilled Old Fashioned glass and garnish with blue raspberry chocolate.

Can you try these Negroni twists at home?

So, which of these can actually make the leap from cocktail bar to home bar? Some are easier to recreate than others. Sayonara is a good place to start if you’re ready to try a simple fat-wash, while Madame Scolaro keeps things relatively approachable with Cognac, dark chocolate Pineau, and a hazelnut garnish. You can also borrow ideas rather than replicate every detail: an infused spirit, an unexpected garnish or a different base spirit can be enough to send your usual Negroni somewhere new.

Some of the best Negroni riffs, however, are probably best left to the pros. If you’re not ready to experiment with clarification, sous-vide infusions, carbonation and multi-stage preparations, consider this your excuse to travel to Madrid, Kyoto, Buenos Aires, Dubai and beyond to seek out the originals.

And speaking of good excuses for a Negroni, September also brings the global celebration of Negroni Week, which falls on September 21–27 this year. Check out our Negroni Week guide for all the dates, details and everything else you need to know.

We’ve only given you a taste. Download The Alchemy of Negroni Twists ebook to discover the full collection, then keep browsing The Mixer for more cocktail inspiration.