6 Negronis You Can Make at Home, No Gin Required

The Negroni is famously a three-ingredient cocktail — made using equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth (though you can tweak those proportions) —and the drink’s popularity and ubiquitousness are because of its inherent simplicity. The best cocktails often combine just a few basic ingredients to create a harmonious blend that is greater than the sum of its parts. But if you were to substitute a different spirit for gin, would this drink still be called a Negroni?

In the case of whiskey, the answer is no — the Negroni then becomes a Boulevardier. But bartenders around the country have been swapping out gin for other spirits like rum, mezcal, tequila or even non-alcoholic options to create their own Negroni variations. “The Negroni is ranked as one of the best-selling cocktails globally (according to Drinks International, 2022) and some form of a riff on the classic recipe…can be found at most bars,” says Olivia Cerio, Italian spirits portfolio ambassador for Campari Group. “Over the 100 years since the creation of the Negroni, we’ve seen countless variations emerge, many of them becoming fan favorites and classics in their own right. There are so many avenues you can take the flavor profile of this cocktail to to customize it to your preferences.”

Your Negroni Does Not Need Equal Parts

The uniformity of the classic recipe (same amounts of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth) may not produce an ideal drink

For example, rum adds a tropical sweetness to the drink, mezcal imbues it with smoky notes and tequila can bring earthy agave flavors to the mix. Some go even further by leaving out the Campari and using different kinds of Italian bitters or amari, adding fruit or citrus components or changing up the garnish from a simple orange peel to something more botanical. 

Negroni Week, the annual celebration of this Italian classic drink that raises money for charity (this year it’s Slow Food), started September 18. With that celebration in mind, we spoke to brands, bartenders and beverage directors about how they make their favorite Negroni variations. 

Mezcal certainly seems to be one of the most popular substitutes for gin in a Negroni these days, showing up in a number of bars (sometimes known as the Oaxacan Negroni). Take the Tropical Negroni at Saint Theo’s in New York City’s Greenwich Village. This trendy restaurant is also home to the Venice Bar, and there are a number of Italian-themed cocktails to choose from. The Tropical Negroni combines mezcal with Campari and a special sweet vermouth, and it’s garnished with a minty kinome leaf instead of a twist, resulting in a drink with fruit, bitter and smoky notes.

At Mexican hotspot Casa Carmen, also in New York City, they offer up the Negroni Mágico, combining mezcal with bianco vermouth and lemongrass-infused Lillet Blanc, forsaking the traditional red and slightly bitter Campari for a more herbal and dryer flavor profile.

At Finch & Fork in Santa Barbara, CA, the team is celebrating Negroni Week by offering a different take on the drink every day next week. The Monday, September 18 version also uses mezcal but combines it with aged tequila, citrus and egg white, sort of a combination between a Negroni and a sour.

Rum can be used quite effectively in a Negroni riff, as well as a more tropical version of a Boulevardier. Brugal has a good recipe that you can easily try at home. This drink is made with Aperol instead of Campari and has the addition of Lillet Blanc.

New York City cocktail haven Dear Irving has another version of a Negroni made with a sugarcane spirit — Brazilian cachaca. The Negroni on Holiday also brings tropical fruit front and center with a spiced papaya puree.

With more people interested in NA spirits and corresponding cocktails, there are now Negroni variations that leave out the booze but keep the flavor. An interesting entry into this spirit-less category is one from The Press Club in New York City. “With the rise of the Negroni and bittersweet drinks, it’s nice that we find such a delicious non-alcoholic option for people who are sober, sober adjacent or just deciding not to drink for the evening,” says bar director Max Green. “St. Agrestis’ Phoney Negroni is great on its own, but we decided to spice it up a bit in the style of a frappe. It’s bright, refreshing and has a bracing bitter finish.”

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