Hacker News Reader

Comment by zacclark | Hacker News Reader

Carpano (at least Carpano Antica, which I think it their common vermouth) is also a very strong flavor. IMO if you're doing equal parts gin/campari/carpano you're totally obliterating the gin flavor.

For a classic and smoother negroni, try:

- 1.5oz gin (Tanqueray is fine, but I'd recommend Ford's)

- 1oz campari

- 1oz sweeter, less intense vermouth like Contratto Rossi or Dolin Rouge

If you want to use your Carpano, I really like this negroni variation called a Kingston that uses rum:

- 1.5oz Smith and Cross rum

- 1oz Campari

- 1oz Carpano Antica

View on HN

Carpano is a good beginner vermouth if you're just getting into this, because it's so sweet and distinctive, but it's also a total overpowering vanilla bomb. Punt e Mes is in the same ballpark but less like drinking vanilla extract. Or just replace the vermouth entirely with Lillet or sherry.

A Negroni is 1:1:1, not 1.5:1:1

The original recipe is, sure. But part of the fun of cocktails is experimenting with what tastes you prefer. The parent said they weren't enjoying what they ended up with, so I'm recommending tweaks. A little extra gin is a pretty standard way to make the campari more palatable, used in plenty of bars.

Sure, but if you tweak the recipe it’s no longer the original drink and instead is something else. A Negroni is 1:1:1, that’s not the same as saying that’s the perfect balance

Not a lot of bartenders would agree with you that 1:1:1 makes the best Negroni, even though it's the original recipe.

yes and the original manhattan recipe calls for equal parts vermouth and whiskey. you probably wouldn't want to drink it like that.

not only do people's tastes change over time, but so do the ingredients themselves. you can't necessarily buy the exact same gin, vermouth, and campari that was available to the count a hundred years ago. of the gins and vermouth available today, there is quite a range of diversity. you leave a lot on the table if you aren't willing to tweak ratios based on the ingredients you have.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com