A simple rule for when to shake and when to stir
A master-class in classic cocktails rebuilt with local craft spirits. This week: the Negroni
While we wait for the cocktail bars to reopen, we have to learn to make our own. And, since there’s never been a better time to explore the local bounty, this series is a master-class in classic cocktails rebuilt with local craft spirits.
The Negroni
Look, we love Stanley Tucci as much as anyone but, to be honest, his cocktail game needs a little work.
In case you missed it, Tucci recently released a video on how to make a Negroni. It was fun. It went viral. But, if you want to make a good cocktail, please don’t follow his example. No, you can’t swap in vodka. No, you don’t squeeze in a little juice at the end. And, most importantly, you don’t shake it. A Negroni is stirred.
Why stirred? There’s a simple, universal rule that can be applied to all cocktail-making, namely, if all the ingredients are clear (all spirits), stir it. If, on the other hand, the ingredients are opaque ( juice, eggs or dairy), it needs to be shaken. The reason we vigorously shake cocktails with those ingredients is mainly because it’s an efficient way to emulsify ingredients of different viscosities. Straight spirits don’t need a lot of help to blend together, so shaking isn’t necessary.
Worse, though, is the fact that shaking does a little damage to spirits. It aerates the cocktail. It also dilutes and cools a cocktail more quickly, thanks to the ice shards that chip off the cubes as they hit the side of the shaker. To taste the bittersweet complexity of the gin, red vermouth and Campari in your Negroni, you want to dilute it just enough to get it to an optimal serving temperature. And, since it’s hard to taste subtle notes at cold temperatures, this isn’t a drink you want to be ice-cold.
There’s no need to rush this drink. The Negroni is designed to be slowly sipped on the porch to punctuate the workday and build a bridge to a leisurely dinner. It’s a simple pleasure. No need to over complicate made with nearly all Ontario craft ingredients. We couldn’t find a suitable replacement for Campari within 100 miles, but we are using Toronto’s own Spirit of York gin. And we’re thrilled to have discovered a delicious homegrown red vermouth, Haberdasher, which is made at Prince Edward County’s Traynor Family Vineyard. Unless we’re missing something, it’s the first of its kind in Ontario.
TIP: Red vermouth is often called “sweet vermouth.” The terms are interchangeable. A good one, like Haberdasher, is also delicious on the rocks with a twist of orange or mixed with soda. Or you can omit the gin and just mix with Campari for an Americano cocktail — a lower-alcohol alternative to the Negroni that’s very common in Italy.