Tag Archives: Negroni

2 Blood Orange Vodka Spring Drink Recipes

Posted on March 31, 2013 | Comments Off

SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka Bottle with Tasting Glass 097

The classic Negroni cocktail recipe is always a personal favorite go-to drink for summer or winter sipping enjoyment. When it was time to review the SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka, a variation of the Negroni instantly came to mind. Blood orange and grapefruit flavors both go rather nicely with the Negroni flavor profile. They seem to thin the drink recipe out a bit for warmer weather sipping. This makes the drink a great refresher. The cocktail recipe variation below just might be the ticket for soaking up a little sunshine.

By the way, March 31 is Oranges and Lemons Day. A Vodka infused with orange or blood orange would be perfect for the day!

Blood Orange Negroni

1 ounce SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka

1/2 ounce Campari

1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth

2 ounces Club Soda

Orange Slice Garnish

Fill highball glass two thirds full with ice. Add liquids to glass in order given, topping with club soda last. Garnish with orange slice.

If you feel like sipping something a little different (Orange Sorbet, Prosecco, SKYY Blood Orange Vodka and Orange Juice), then check out the Blood Orange Sgroppino drink recipe photographed and described in great visual detail on the Italian La Bella Vita blog. This cocktail looks amazing and sounds delicious!

Orange Breeze

2 ounces SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka

1/2 ounce Pineapple Juice

1/2 ounce Cranberry Juice

1/2 ounce Lemon Juice

Orange Twist or Orange Slice Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange twist or orange slice garnish. (More drink recipes like this one provided by Campari America on flickr in the SKYY Infusions Blood Orange tag.

What is SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka?

Vodka infused with natural blood orange flavors. SKYY Infusions Blood Orange is made with real blood oranges and SKYY Vodka. It is carefully infused with all-natural ingredients with the goal of irresistibly crisp, fresh taste and lusciously sweet blood orange. – Information printed on bottle label

70 Proof / 35% alcohol

Suggested Retail Price:$15 to $19 range depending on area

Availability: Main market area is United States and Canada.

SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka Tasting Notes

Color: Clear

Aroma: Reminds me of opening a fresh bag of candy sweet tarts. Powdery sweet with bit of sugary tartness. Makes my mouth water a little. No burn.

Tasted Neat: Sweetness, though it is minimal. Very little burn. Orange with hint of bitter, like the oily skin of orange. Not lush. Bit fruity like you might expect from cocktail fruit juice, but not as sweet. Definitely reminds me more of candy flavor rather than natural fruit flavor. Slightly artificial tasting as it doesn’t seem to roll over the tongue with layered lushness. Seems a bit one dimensional in its streamlined flavor.

Review sample courtesy representatives of Campari America

Cheri Loughlin Beverage Consultant & Photography Services

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Posted in Cocktails, Daily Holidays, Reviews

Tagged Blood Orange Negroni, Blood Orange Sgroppino, Blood Orange Vodka, Campari, Campari America, Club Soda, Cranberry Juice, Fresh Lemon, La Bella Vita, Negroni, Orange Breeze, Orange Vodka, Oranges and Lemons Day, Pineapple Juice, SKYY Infusions Blood Orange Vodka, SKYY Vodka, Sweet Vermouth, Vodka

Count Camillo

Posted on January 16, 2013 | Comments Off

Negroni lovers can now enjoy the fabulous flavor of the classics with a few less calories. Lovely Campari dry bitterness combines with grapefruit juice in a truly glorious way. Splash of orange juice brings this cocktail together for beautiful sipping.

Count Camillo – created by Cheri Loughlin

1 measure Campari

1/2 measure Sweet Vermouth

1-1/2 measure Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice

1/2 measure Trop50 Orange Juice

Grapefruit Twist Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grapefruit juice.

Approximately 128 Calories

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Posted in Low Calorie

Tagged Campari, Count Camillo, Lower Calorie, Negroni, Orange Juice, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, Sweet Vermouth

Delilah

Posted on June 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

Variation on the classic Negroni with fresh squeezed grapefruit twist and Aperol modification. Light, airy, summery. Lovely feel for afternoon parties, late evenings enjoying beautiful sunsets or for refreshing late Sunday brunches.

Delilah – created by Cheri Loughlin

1-1/4 measure Aperol

1 measure London Dry Gin

1/2 measure Sweet Vermouth

1 measure Fresh Grapefruit Juice

3 dashes Peach Bitters

Grapefruit Twist Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grapefruit twist.

High resolution digital photo downloads are available for brand, cocktail menu creation use and individual use at www.cheriloughlin.com within the Beverages category.

Find The Intoxicologist on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon or Email: str8upcocktails@gmail.com – Copyright 2011 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved – All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage contained within are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

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Posted in Cocktails

Tagged Aperol, Gin, Negroni, Sweet Vermouth

Variation on a Classic: Cinnabar Negroni

Posted on July 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

It comes as no surprise the classic Negroni is among the highest of favorite classic cocktails on The Intoxicologist site. This classic has been stirred, shaken and built in various forms many times over with assorted spirits, aperitifs and inclusion of champagne topper.

Another slight remake of this delicious classic recipe appears in the New Classic Cocktails book by Gary Regan. The book contains detail about how the recipe creation came about at the hand of Jason MacDonald, head bartender of Cinnabar in Los Angeles. There is an extreme love for Campari running amok at Cinnabar, so a Negroni remake sounds like an obvious choice for cocktail conversion.

Cinnabar Negroni

2 parts Campari

1 part London Dry Gin

1 part Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes Orange Bitters

Orange Slice Garnish

Place ice in an old fashioned glass. Build cocktail in order given. Stir. Garnish with orange slice.

First confession – though Jason created this version with Campari, my love for Cynar won out and I immediately substituted Cynar for Campari to start. Though this version of the classic Negroni flavors the tongue sweeter than I usually fancy, it overwhelms with such delicious zest and zing. The sweet to bitter balance combines in rhythmic dance cohesively. Flourishing. Rich. Divine. I’ll have another please. Oh, and don’t forget to nibble the Cinnabar Negroni soaked orange slice.

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Posted in Classic Cocktails

Tagged Campari, Carpano Antica Formula, Classic Cocktail, Cynar, Gin, Negroni, Orange Bitters, Sweet Vermouth

Recreating a Classic: Negroni Virtuoso

Posted on April 14, 2010 | Leave a comment

The classic Negroni happens to be a particular favorite no matter the season perhaps due to its dry, yet rich flavor profile. While this drink is most commonly served on the rocks according to bartenders and reliable cocktail recipe books, my preferred method of serve is straight up in a cocktail glass. The flavor renders too perfectly to allow ice to water it down even an nth. Savoring the essence of the cocktail is experiencing wonderment at its finest. To rush ahead of ice melt would be such a shame.

March 16 is National Artichoke Heart Day. Cheers!

Though the Negroni shines as is, experimentation with this exquisite classic cocktail renders delicious results. Not long ago the Naughty Negroni recipe, found in The Bubbly Bar by Maria C. Hunt, caught my eye for obvious reasons. The drink presents well for celebratory occasions while maintaining the characteristic dry to bitter undercurrent of Campari. Since that time various renditions of the Negroni with champagne topper have come to my attention. Each presents well on the palate, but invites the imagination for more creative play.

Negroni Virtuoso – created by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

An adaptation of the classic Negroni & variation of the Naughty Negroni

1 ounce Hendrick’s Gin

3/4 ounce Cynar Artichoke Liqueur

1/2 ounce Carpano Antica Formula

2 ounces Moscato Spumante

Orange Twist

Combine Hendrick’s Gin, Cynar and Carpano Antica Formula in mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain into champagne flute. Zest fresh orange peel over top and insert twist into flute. Top with Moscato Spumante. – Cynar and Carpano Antica Formula both combine to add lush richness with tinge of bitterness, softened by the light sweetness of the Moscato Spumante.

Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon – str8upcocktails @ gmail.com – ©2012 Cheri Loughlin-The Intoxicologist, All Rights Reserved. All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin.

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Posted in Champagne & Bubbly, Classic Cocktails

Tagged Artichoke Liqueur, Carpano Antica Formula, Champagne, Classic Cocktail, Cynar, Gin, Hendrick's Gin, Moscato Spumante, Negroni

Savoring the Flavor of Hendrick’s Gin Classic & Contemporary Cocktail Recipes

Posted on November 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Hendrick’s Gin ventures toward the side of the unusual with its cucumber tones, medicinal shaped bottle and off the cuff sense of humor in marketing. But this rather curious Gin begs to be reckoned with among more ‘traditional’ styled Gins consumers might be more familiar with in classic martinis and cocktails. The flavor settles upon the palate with much the same juniper tone conventional Gin contains, but then lovely flora sneaks up behind giving Hendrick’s wonderful kick. Some find it all cucumber, but there is a certain amount of floral or perfume to this one making it perfect for tweaking an ordinary cocktail into something extraordinary.

Unusual Negroni

1 ounce Hendrick’s Gin

1 ounce Lillet Blanc

1 ounce Aperol

Orange twist

Combine ingredients and shake well with ice. Serve up and garnish with an orange twist.

Delightful. Light rather than heavy, most likely due to the Lillet Blanc rather than sweet vermouth. I like this one very much. If the Classic Negroni ranks high on your list of cocktail loves, the Unusual Negroni should rank high on your list of ‘must try’ cocktail recipes. Two more must try Negroni cocktails on your list this season; Naughty Negroni using a champagne topper and Art’ Negroni with Cynar Artichoke Liqueur/Aperitif. All three of these twists on the classic Negroni make excellent choices for holiday gatherings this season with their classic style and flair for the unique. The Negroni cocktail is a quick build mixed drink, low on the difficulty factor.

Fairy Belle

1-1/2 ounce Hendrick’s Gin

1/2 ounce Apricot Brandy

1/2 ounce Fresh lemon juice

1/4 ounce Grenadine

1/4 ounce Simple syrup

Lemon twist

Combine ingredients and shake well. Serve up in a martini style glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Fairy Belle contains this tart/perfumed twist to it that is intriguing. The flavor causes me to sip, roll the liquid around and mull the thought of its unusualness over my taste buds. This mixed drink plays up the floral tones of Hendrick’s Gin more than the previous cocktail recipe. Fairy Belle is an excellent example of contemporary style drinks created from base spirits that are sometimes thought of as ‘old fashioned’ or those only consumed by an older generation. Not so. Gin might have been the spirit of an older generation, but it is also seeing the dawning of a new age.

Hendrick’s Martini

1-1/2 ounce Hendrick’s Gin

3/4 ounce Dry Vermouth

Stir Vermouth and Hendrick’s Gin over ice cubes in mixing glass. Strain into martini glass. Serve with cucumber slice.

Of course the gold standard of practically any gin is the martini. Hendrick’s served up phenomenal gin martinis at the Hendrick’s Enchanted Portal to the Peculiar party at Tales of the Cocktail 2009. I am not so sure this particular recipe is the same proportion followed for what was served then or possibly the vermouth I used is not the same. Play with the proportions a little. Personally I like a little more gin shine through than vermouth. With Gin as extraordinary and unique as Hendrick’s; savor the flavor.

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Posted in Classic Cocktails, Reviews

Tagged Aperol, Apricot Brandy, Classic Cocktail, Dry Vermouth, Fairy Belle, Fresh Lemon, Gin, Grenadine, Hendrick's Gin, Lillet Blanc, Martini, Negroni, Simple Syrup, Unusual Negroni

Classic Cocktail Recipes Sparkle: Naughty Negroni & Art’ Negroni

Posted on November 2, 2009 | Leave a comment

With the holiday season coming up it is time to begin thinking about celebration cocktails for family gatherings and social events. Thanksgiving and Christmas time of year bring in moments of tradition, heritage and honor generations of the past. Incorporating classic cocktails into modern celebrations is an excellent way to convey a sense of timelessness and elegance to the occasion.

Maria C. Hunt, author of The Bubbly Bar, offers a champagne perspective for holiday celebrations or any occasion a little added sparkle would make it shine brighter. The Bubbly Bar fills champagne flutes and cocktail glasses with The Classics, those which must be Mixed & Muddled and doesn’t shy away from Happy Endings. All of the recipes are beautifully photographed which is a real plus for those who love visual context of the finished product.

As inspiring as The Bubbly Bar is with its vast array of champagne and sparkling wine cocktails, be prepared for prep work with a healthy share of the recipes provided in this book. Numerous recipes require specialty syrups made ahead of time or steeped tea with spice inclusion, cooled before cocktail mixing can begin. Fresh ingredients definitely create the most flavorful cocktails. Planning ahead for what you want to sample is a must with The Bubbly Bar since there are several cocktails with fresh ingredients. Many contain ingredients that might not be readily available or easy to find such as dried pink rose petals for the Vintage Rose or sour cherry syrup for the Sour Cherry. These are just two examples of ingredients that must be ordered online ahead of time if they cannot be found locally. Maria has provided a Resources guide for this purpose. The Bubbly Bar is an excellent sparkling cocktail resource for anyone with a passion for champagne, but not the best source for on the fly cocktail creation. Prepare ahead of time for what your celebration cocktails will be this season.

Naughty Negroni – Bubbly Bar by Maria C. Hunt

1 ounce Campari

1 ounce Sweet Vermouth

1/2 ounce Gin

4 ounces Moscato d’Asti Sparkling Wine

Long Spiral of Orange Peel Garnish

Add Campari, vermouth and gin to cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to chill. Strain into champagne flute. Top with Moscato. Garnish with orange peel.

This is indeed beautiful with the classic dry to bitter flavor characteristic of Campari. Champagne gives the Negroni classic cocktail a delightful holiday spirit making this an excellent choice for celebrations.

One of my favorite cocktails to order out and about is the classic Negroni, but with an artful twist. Cynar with its artichoke flavor foundation is my preferred aperitif for the Negroni classic. The flavor is deeply rich without so much bitter dryness.

There’s a holiday for the artichoke! March 16 is National Artichoke Heart Day.

Art’ Negroni – Classic Cocktail adapted by The Intoxicologist

1-1/2 ounce Gin

1 ounce Carpano Antica Formula

1-1/2 ounce Cynar Artichoke Liqueur

Orange Twist Garnish

Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange twist.

Even though the Negroni cocktail still flavors out fabulously when it warms a little as it is sipped, this drink can also be placed into a small cocktail glass with the remaining half poured into a small sidecar on ice to remain chilled.