Classic negroni cocktail with a twist recipe

This stunning cocktail will be your drink of choice when the mercury rises. Here’s how to create a summer-friendly twist on the classic negroni cocktail.

In Melbourne, cocktails don’t come much more popular than the negroni. While the true origin of the negroni is disputed (some claim the cocktail originated in Florence, while others say Milan), the flavour profile of the negroni has struck a chord with lovers of the city’s flourishing Italian dining and bar scene in recent years.

This popularity means that the city’s best cocktail spots are now evolving the drink to suit the tastes of Melburnians. As we approach warmer weather, Melbourne CBD bar Bourke Street Green has released its own summer spin on the negroni, and in the process, substituted one of the drink’s most famous ingredients for something local.

Bourke Street Green Bar Manager Rob Pierce has crafted a summer version of the classic negroni, replacing the distinctive Campari Aperitivo bitters from Italy with Davo Plum Aperitivo bitters locally sourced in Victoria.

“This is more of an approachable drink if you’re trying to get into something similar to a negroni,” Pierce says. “It's for someone that doesn’t like the big, bold flavours of a traditional negroni.”

To perfectly dilute the cocktail’s ingredients, Pierce recommends stirring them in a mixing glass, rather than shaking.

“A shake is a rapid dilution breaking the ice up quite quickly, whereas this is a controlled dilution.”

So, add a touch of Italian summer to your next gathering with this warm-weather version of the negroni. For another alternative and trending take on this classic cocktail, try the negroni sbagliato (Italian for 'mistaken negroni'), which substitutes gin for prosecco.