Tradewinds Negroni

It's no secret that I'm a fan of bitters and bitter drinks. So when I saw this recipe in an article on Negroni variations, I just had to try it. Anything that calls for large quantities of bitters -- three-quarters of an ounce, in this case -- it OK in my book and must be tasted.

The Tradewinds Negroni does not disappoint. There's a good shot of orange from the Cointreau on the nose and the sip, and then that lovely, intense bitter clove and cinnamon from the Angostura kicks in. I had Punt e Mes open, so that's what I used (I just don't drink enough cocktails to justify having multiple bottles of sweet vermouth open, believe it or not) but I think I'd go with something a little less spicy and a tad more sweet next time, such as the Cocchi Vermouth di Torino the recipe called for. And mark my words, there will be a next time. But between this and the Magic Julep, I'm going to need to get another bottle or two of Angostura Bitters.

Recipe

The dash on the top of the bottle of Angostura bitters comes off fairly easily; it just takes a little work.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 oz Cointreaux
  • 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • 3/4 oz Angostura Bitters
  • Orange Twist

Directions

  1. Combine everything (except the orange peel, of course) into a mixing glass and add ice.
  2. Stir until chilled.
  3. Strain into a rocks glass with a big ice cube.
  4. Garnish with an orange twist
  5. Sip and be prepared to get kicked in the face by the lovely bitters taste...

Perfect for a warm day.