Bold, bitter, and timeless, the Negroni is an Italian classic that never goes out of style. This smoked negroni cocktail takes it to the next level, adding rich, aromatic depth that makes every sip feel like you're sitting by a fire on a cold winter's night.
😍 Why You'll Love This Smoke Negroni
- Smoke adds depth and warmth to the classic cocktail. It's an easy way to elevate the negroni. The smoke compliments the bitter flavors while enhancing the herby elements
- It's a great drink for winter. Sipping it makes you feel warm and cozy.
- The smoke not only adds flavor, it makes a fun presentation. It's not just about the taste, the smoke turns the cocktail into an experience. A good drink to serve guests.
For more interesting cocktails, check out my recipes for a Carrot Juice Cocktail, Hot Buttered Rum, and Elderflower Gin and Tonic.
Wondering what to serve with a smoked negroni? How about Beet and Feta Tartlets, Baked Scotch Eggs, or Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce?
Jump to:
🍊 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make a smoked negroni.
Key Ingredients
- Gin: The backbone of the cocktail, gin lends botanical and citrus notes to a negroni. You can use whatever gin you prefer to drink.
- Vermouth: A sweet, herby, spiced wine that helps to balance the Campari.
- Campari: A bitter, orange, and herbal-flavored Italian liqueur that is a main ingredient in a classic negroni cocktail.
- Orange: A piece of orange peel is used to flavor and garnish the cocktail.
- Wood chips: You'll need a couple of pinches of your preferred wood chips to smoke the cocktail. You can get these from a variety of places. I've used and enjoyed the options from Aged and Charred.
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Campari: Try other Italian liqueurs like Aperol or Amaro in place of Campari.
- Vermouth: If you only have dried vermouth and not sweet, combine it with a splash of simple syrup.
- Smoked rosemary: If you don't have a cocktail smoker, light the top of a rosemary sprig on fire, blow it out, and serve the drink with the lightly smoking sprig sitting in the glass. This approach doesn't really infuse the drink in the same way, but you will inhale a smoky aroma as you sip.
- Charred orange: Another way to add smoky notes to the negroni when you don't have a cocktail smoker is to use a torch to char a wheel of orange and then stick the orange on the glass as a garnish. Combine this with a sprig of smoking rosemary for a complementary smoky pairing.
🍹 Instructions
How to make a smoked negroni.
- Step 1: Get together your supplies for smoking the cocktail, including wood chips and torch.
- Step 2: Prep the garnish. Peel off a piece of the orange skin, then trim the edges for shape into a rectangle.
- Step 3: Add ice to a glass.
- Step 4: Pour in the gin, vermouth, and campari.
- Step 5: Gently stir for 20 seconds.
- Step 6: Express or twist the orange peel over the drink and add it to the glass.
- Step 7: Put your wood chips in the smoking basket and place over your cocktail.
- Step 8: Use your torch to ignite the wood chips.
- Step 9: Place the top over the smoker and allow the smoke to fill the glass for about 60 seconds.
- Step 10: Remove the top from the glass to allow the smoke to escape. Serve immediately.
Note: How you go about smoking a cocktail will vary depending on your exact smoking tool.
✨ Helpful Tips
- If you're using a cocktail smoker torch that uses butane, ignite the torch before you direct it into the smoker to avoid sending butane fumes into the glass.
- If it's your first time smoking a cocktail, you may want to experiment with how long you let the smoke infuse the drink to get it to a level of smoke that you prefer.
- For the best experience, smoke the cocktail only when ready to serve.
🔥 Equipment
Cocktail smoker: This is the easiest way to smoke a cocktail. There are many options for smokers, and they're all a little different. I only have experience with this smoker kit from Aged and Charred, and I'd definitely recommend it. I've found it to be good quality, I appreciate the variety of wood chips it comes with, and it's quick and easy to use. Here's a good explanation of how to smoke a cocktail without a smoker.
Bar spoon: To stir the negroni. If you don't have a bar spoon use a chopstick or skewer.
🙋🏻♀️ FAQ
Adding smoke to a negorni works well because it balances the rich flavors of the cocktail and adds further depth. If you enjoy smokey and woody flavors, then you should enjoy a smoke Negroni.
A negroni is a good smoked cocktail. But you could also smoke drinks like my Apple Cider Whiskey Cocktail and Pomegranate Rosemary Cocktail. Drinks that are earthy and a little sweet are good complements for smoking. Rum, whiskey, gin, and mezcal are all good liquor pairings for a smoked cocktail.
Try cherry for a bit of sweetness to balance the negroni's bitterness, oak for a stronger complimentary flavor, or apple wood for a hint of fruity smoke.
🍕 Pairing
Try pairing these recipes with a smoked negroni.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Negroni
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
This smoked version of the classic Negroni cocktail adds rich, aromatic depth, making each sip feel like a winter's night by a cozy fire.
Ingredients
- a pinch or two of wood chips
- an orange
- ice
- 1-ounce gin
- 1-ounce sweet vermouth
- 1-ounce Campari
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients. Get out everything you need for the cocktail, including your cocktail smoking supplies, wood chips, liquor, and orange.
- Make the garnish. Use a peeler to peel off a 2 to 3-inch piece of orange zest. Try to avoid the bitter white pith and only remove the peel. Trim the sides with a knife to make it neat.
- Make the cocktail. Add ice to your glass. I like to use one large ice cube, which doesn't melt as fast. You could use a few smaller cubes, though. Pour in the gin, vermouth, and Campari. Stir with a bar spoon for 20 seconds.
- Garnish. Twist the orange peel over the drink to express the oil. Add the peel to the drink.
- Smoke the drink. Put your smoker on top of your negroni. Add a pinch or two of wood chips. Use the torch to burn and light the chips on fire. Cover with the top piece of your smoker and let the smoke infuse the cocktail glass for up to 60 seconds.
- Serve. Remove the top of the smoker and serve.
Notes
If you're using a cocktail smoker torch that uses butane, ignite it before you direct it into the smoker to avoid sending butane fumes into the glass.
If it's your first time smoking a cocktail, you may want to experiment with how long you let the smoke infuse the drink to get it to the level of smoke that you prefer.
For the best experience, smoke the cocktail only when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: Italian
🍸 Related Recipes
Looking for more drink recipes? Try these next:
Comments
No Comments