Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Make It Weird

We’ve made it to the end of another week again hooray! Though at least for me on paternity leave, the days just kinda run together at this point. Though I did learn that this week is Negroni Week. I had no idea this was a thing, but I am all for it.

Despite the fact I already made a Negroni for this space, I still thought I could have some fun with this given there are a plethora of Negroni twists out there. Though I am somewhat limited in my options since I’ve run out of a central ingredient: Campari. However, there is little to fear, since apparently Campari-less Negroni riffs exist! I’ve found one that is called the Unusual Negroni. I’m guessing its named that way since the only ingredient it has with a regular Negroni is the gin. Instead of Campari it calls for Aperol, and instead of sweet vermouth, it uses Lillet Blanc.

Unusual Negroni

1 oz. London dry gin
1 oz. Aperol
1 oz. Lillet blanc
Orange slice, to garnish

Fill a mixing glass halfway with ice. Pour in gin, Aperol, and Lillet blanc. Stir until well-mixed and well-chilled. Strain into a glass. You can serve this drink on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass or up in a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange slice and serve.

The nose is reminiscent of a Negroni, but ever so slightly different. It definitely doesn’t have any kind of bitter aroma. It is more citrus-y and tamer than a regular Negroni. The orange peel garnish particularly stands out here, which is kind of nice.

Well, this is certainly unusual, but I have a hard time calling this a variation of a Negroni. This is more akin to a Contessa than a Negroni. A signature part of a Negroni is the bitter flavor that comes from the Campari. Since this utilizes Aperol, I knew there wouldn’t be much of a bitter flavor, but that combined with the Lillet has this trending into the sweet category.

That sweetness hits you up front, but it’s coupled with a hint of orange from the Aperol and the garnish working in concert with each other. The Lillet provides most of the sweetness you’d find in the vermouth, but again, slightly different than a regular Negroni.

The gin is all but lost here, it’s more of a complex foundation for the other ingredients to shine, as well as provide the base liquor for a cocktail. If someone thought the didn’t like gin, this would be a good one to serve to see if they truly didn’t like the spirit.

I’m not sure what to think of this to be honest. On the surface, it is a very refreshing cocktail that excels at being a cooling pre dinner beverage in peak (or in this case extremely late) summer. But, it’s not a Negroni. Despite the name, Negronis are almost by definition bitter, and this has none of that. If I asked for a Negroni at a bar and was served this, I’d be upset and wonder what the hell was just served to me. So, please. Let’s agree to call this something else. Because calling this a Negroni is close to false advertising.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)