The classic Negroni – despite some controversy it can be called the “king of aperitivo”. Despite its simple composition, being equal parts of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, it is hugely popular and a very interesting template for bartenders and mixologists to create new recipes. As I can call it my favorite drink with certainty, what better way to start off this cocktail blog than with a fun variation. Most people will think of a classic Negroni as being bitter, herbaceous and complex. Most of the times, it uses a London dry gin, Campari and a standard sweet vermouth (e. g. Antica Formula or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino). Thus, it is usually not associated with fruityness or tropical flavors. One of my goals in writing this blog is exploring flavor combinations that might seem a bit unconventional at first. So let’s make a Tiki Negroni!
Ways to Tiki-fy the Negroni
One possible approach to do this could be adding pineapple juice to the Negroni recipe to create kind of a “gin jungle bird“. However, this would (obviously) not result in a Negroni variation. Another possibility is replacing the single ingredients by similar alternatives to achieve the desired flavor. This could include using a pineapple rum such as the one by Plantation or a fruitier vermouth like Vya. While this is definitely possible, it is not that fun. Also, we prefer recipes that do not require people to buy a whole bunch of new bottles.
So let’s use homemade “modified” ingredients instead. However, our Tiki Negroni will not be a gin one, but a variation of the famous Kingston Negroni. With pineapple-infused rum and coconut oil-washed Campari, you cannot prepare it super fast, but it’s still easy!
Tasting the result
What’s great about this drink is that it does taste like a proper Kingston Negroni, but the “Tiki components” are clearly there. With just four days of time for the pineapple infusion, the taste is already very prominent (try to use a ripe pineapple!). To be honest, the coconut is barely noticeable tastewise. However, fat-washing the Campari makes it very smooth and improves the drink’s texture by a lot.
This Tiki Negroni is a fruity, slightly sweeter variation of the Kingston Negroni. It still bears that bracing bitterness that comes with the Campari. As it is a rum Negroni, one might think that the drink is not herbaceous due to the absence of gin. However, the Campari and vermouth still account for substantial herbaceousness. Furthermore, the drink is definitely complex to some extent, but this complexity is nicely balanced by the fruity notes. As it is quite bitter and strong, the Tiki Negroni is more of a sipping shortdrink. If you are a Negroni lover, try it!
First, make the pineapple rum. You have to do this 3 - 5 days in advance so the pineapple can properly infuse into the rum. Simply cut up some pineapple and mix it with the rum in a jar. Store it in a cool, dark place for infusion, but shake it up a bit every day. If you like, you can retain some pineapple to garnish the final drink later on.
Next is the coconut Campari, which we will make by fat-washing some standard Campari with coconut oil. You need to melt the coconut oil (e. g. for a minute in the microwave oven or over the stove top) until liquid, but not hot (coconut oil melts almost instantly when heated). Mix the Campari with the liquid coconut oil in a sealable container and shake it up. Let this mixture infuse for a few hours (or over night).
When the ingredients have infused long enough, take the pineapple chunks out of the rum and pour it through a tea strainer to remove any particles. Put the coconut oil and Campari mix in the freezer to solidify the oil (which should not take longer than an hour). Poke the solid fat with a spoon to losen it, then discard and remove any fine particles using a tea strainer.
To make the drink, combine 60 ml of the infused rum, 30 ml of the coconut Campari and 30 ml of sweet vermouth in a mixing glass along with two dashes of Angostura bitters. Add ice and stir for 30 - 40 seconds. Pour into the serving glass and garnish in true Tiki fashion, using whatever you have on hand (pineapple wedges, pineapple leaves, orange slices, Maraschino cherries etc.) However, I would advise against using any citrus oil on this, as it might overpower the rather subtle coconut and pineapple notes in the drink.
Ingredients
Directions
First, make the pineapple rum. You have to do this 3 - 5 days in advance so the pineapple can properly infuse into the rum. Simply cut up some pineapple and mix it with the rum in a jar. Store it in a cool, dark place for infusion, but shake it up a bit every day. If you like, you can retain some pineapple to garnish the final drink later on.
Next is the coconut Campari, which we will make by fat-washing some standard Campari with coconut oil. You need to melt the coconut oil (e. g. for a minute in the microwave oven or over the stove top) until liquid, but not hot (coconut oil melts almost instantly when heated). Mix the Campari with the liquid coconut oil in a sealable container and shake it up. Let this mixture infuse for a few hours (or over night).
When the ingredients have infused long enough, take the pineapple chunks out of the rum and pour it through a tea strainer to remove any particles. Put the coconut oil and Campari mix in the freezer to solidify the oil (which should not take longer than an hour). Poke the solid fat with a spoon to losen it, then discard and remove any fine particles using a tea strainer.
To make the drink, combine 60 ml of the infused rum, 30 ml of the coconut Campari and 30 ml of sweet vermouth in a mixing glass along with two dashes of Angostura bitters. Add ice and stir for 30 - 40 seconds. Pour into the serving glass and garnish in true Tiki fashion, using whatever you have on hand (pineapple wedges, pineapple leaves, orange slices, Maraschino cherries etc.) However, I would advise against using any citrus oil on this, as it might overpower the rather subtle coconut and pineapple notes in the drink.
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