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Drink recipe · 1 cocktail

Researched · Established classic specification

Classic Negroni

IBA-aligned Negroni: 1 oz each gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth—stirred, orange garnish, with technique notes and source attribution.

By DrinkKnird · October 12, 2026

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Illustrative Negroni: amber-red cocktail in a rocks glass with orange peel

A Negroni succeeds when bitterness, sweetness, and botanical structure stay in conversation. DrinkKnird’s version follows the International Bartenders Association equal-parts specification—gin, Campari, and sweet red vermouth—so the drink stays recognizable instead of drifting into a house riff without saying so.

Stir it over ice until the mixing glass is painfully cold. That chill and a modest amount of melt are what soften the alcohol without turning the drink watery. Serve over a large cube when you want a slower sip, or up in a chilled coupe when you want a tighter, colder pour. Orange peel oils on the surface do more for aroma than a thick wedge floating in the glass.

For the drink’s place in cocktail history, see DrinkKnird’s [origins of the Negroni](/origins-of-the-negroni). This page is a researched classic specification for home use—not a claim of kitchen testing or superiority.

Spirit
gin
Glass
rocks glass or coupe
Garnish
orange twist or slice
Alcohol
alcoholic

Recipe

Drink recipe

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep 5 minutes · Total 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce (30 ml) gin (London dry keeps the classic profile)
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) Campari
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) sweet red vermouth
  • Orange twist or thin orange slice, for garnish
  • Ice for stirring (and a large cube if serving on the rocks)

Instructions

  1. Chill a rocks glass or coupe. For rocks service, place one large ice cube in the rocks glass.
  2. Add gin, Campari, and sweet red vermouth to a mixing glass filled with fresh ice.
  3. Stir steadily until the mixing glass is very cold and the drink looks slightly diluted—usually about 20–30 seconds.
  4. Strain into the prepared glass (over the large cube, or up into the coupe).
  5. Express an orange twist over the drink, then drop it in or rest it on the rim. Serve immediately.

Make-ahead

  • Pre-batch equal parts of the three liquids in a sealed bottle and refrigerate. Stir individual servings with ice just before pouring.

Notes

  • Timing is a research-based estimate for a single stirred cocktail.
  • Gin: London dry reads clean and classic; a softer contemporary gin rounds the edges without changing equal parts.
  • Campari is the bittering agent in the IBA-style build—swapping to another aperitivo changes the drink’s identity.
  • Sweet vermouth oxidizes; refrigerate after opening. Flat or harsh bitterness is often stale vermouth, not a reason to abandon equal parts.
  • Common mistake: shaking. Shaking over-dilutes and adds foam that fights this spirit-forward classic.
  • Batching: combine equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth in a bottle and keep cold; stir each serving with ice so dilution stays consistent.

Why this recipe works

Equal parts keep bitterness, sweetness, and botanicals in the balance documented by the IBA official cocktail specification. Stirring cold ice softens heat without the aeration shaking would add.

Recipe sources & development

Established classic specification

Equal-parts Negroni aligned to the IBA official specification, with home-bar technique notes drawn from that standard.

Why this formulation: Equal parts keep gin botanicals, Campari bitterness, and sweet vermouth in a documented classic balance; stirring preserves a clear, spirit-forward texture.

Other approaches: Some bars lean gin-forward or swap other bitter aperitivos. Those are house styles; this page follows the IBA equal-parts Campari build.

Adaptation credit: International Bartenders Association Official Cocktail specification

Developed from published sources; not yet kitchen-tested by DrinkKnird.

  • Negroni — IBA Official Cocktail — International Bartenders Association · researched 2026-10-12

    30 ml gin, 30 ml bitter Campari, 30 ml sweet red vermouth; stir gently with ice; half orange slice garnish

  • IBA Cocktails — International Bartenders Association · researched 2026-10-12

    Official IBA cocktail index listing Negroni among The Unforgettables

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