Negroni Week has officially kicked off, and there’s no better time to celebrate one of the world’s most iconic cocktails. Known for its bold balance of bitter, sweet, and aromatic notes, the Negroni has long been a symbol of timeless sophistication. We at The LuxxeMag are raising the bar with a curated lineup of inventive twists on the classic, from subtle, refined updates to daring new takes, each honouring the spirit of the original while inviting you to explore something fresh. Cheers!
Cask-Aged Negroni (il Casale – Lexington & Belmont, MA)
Why you’ll love it: This version is aged in oak casks for a deeper, richer flavor with hints of vanilla and spice.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Gin
- 1.5 oz Campari
- 1.5 oz Red Vermouth
- Orange twist
Method: Pour over ice. The longer it sits in the oak cask, the better.
Greek-Groni (Taverna by The Gyro Project – Hudson Yards, NYC)
Why you’ll love it: A Mediterranean spin with vibrant vermouth and a citrusy finish.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Votanikon Gin
- 1¼ oz Otto’s Athens Vermouth
- ¾ oz Campari
Method: Combine in a double rocks glass with a large ice cube, stir, and garnish with an orange peel.
Negroni Grecissimo (with KLEOS Mastiha Spirit)
Why you’ll love it: Herbal and slightly piney, this Greek-inspired variation adds sage and grapefruit bitters for depth. Created by Mixologist Paula Lukas.
Ingredients:
- 1 part KLEOS Mastiha Spirit
- 1 part Stray Dog Gin
- ½ part Luxardo Bitter Bianco
- ½ part Foro Dry Vermouth Di Torino
- 2 dashes grapefruit bitters
- Sprig of sage (garnish)
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice, strain into a rocks glass, and garnish with sage.
Photo Credits: Guillaume Jubien
Kilinga Negroni (with Bacanora from Sonora, Mexico)
Why you’ll love it: The earthy, caramel, and smoky notes of Bacanora give the Negroni a bold, agave twist.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Kilinga Bacanora Blanco
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- Orange peel
Method: Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Express and drop in the orange peel.
The Bacanito (with Colombian Aguardiente)
Why you’ll love it: A smoother, fruitier take on the Negroni using Bacan Guaro, a premium Colombian aguardiente.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Bacan Guaro 29%
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Rosso Vermouth
Method: Stir with ice and serve over a large cube in an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Mr. Icky (Canes & Tales – Waldorf Astoria Osaka, Japan)
Why you’ll love it: Inspired by Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this claypot-aged shochu Negroni variation is a tribute to unbridled elegance, faded ideals, and the art of true indulgence.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml SG Mugi Shochu
- 15 ml Rinomato Aperitivo
- 5 ml Campari
- 30 ml Mancino Vecchio Vermouth
- 3 ml Truffle Honey
- 2 dashes The Japanese Shiso Bitters
- 2 dashes The Japanese Sancho Bitters
- Garnish: Tempura Wasabi Leaf and Sancho Powder
Method:
Age in a clay pot amphora for depth and complexity, or prepare à la minute. Stir all ingredients for 20 seconds, then pour over a large block of ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a tempura wasabi leaf and a dusting of sancho powder.
Koji Negroni (Created with iichiko Shochu by Shingo Gokan & Naoto Ogawa in collaboration with Campari)
Why you’ll love it: A refined take on the Negroni that highlights iichiko Saiten’s depth, balanced by Campari and sweet vermouth. Smooth, layered, and distinctly Japanese in spirit.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml iichiko Saiten
- 25 ml Campari
- 25 ml Sweet Vermouth
- Garnish: Orange peel
Method:
Pour ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube and garnish with an orange peel.
Sakura Negroni (Created by Natasha Sofia with iichiko Shochu)
Why you’ll love it: A floral, citrusy Negroni variation accented by Mancini Sakura Vermouth and a delicate cherry blossom tea ice cube for a striking presentation.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz iichiko Saiten
- 1 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianca Vermouth
- 1 oz Mancini Sakura Vermouth (or Lillet Rosé if unavailable)
- Optional: Cherry blossom tea ice cube with cherry blossom
Method:
Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass with the cherry blossom ice cube, express and discard an orange peel.
Artichoke Negroni (Lilac – Tampa, FL)
Why you’ll love it: Artichoke-infused gin adds a unique, earthy depth to this Mediterranean-inspired Negroni.
Ingredients:
- Artichoke-infused Bombay Dry Gin*
- Campari (equal parts to gin)
- Orange peel (garnish)
- Fresh thyme (garnish)
- Olive (garnish)
*To infuse: Slice and rinse three artichokes. Add to two bottles of Bombay Dry Gin, steep for 6 hours, then strain.
Method: Stir equal parts artichoke gin and Campari over a large 2×2 ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel, a sprig of thyme, and an olive.
Credit: Jordan Wise
Dulce & Cabana (Madame George – NYC)
Why you’ll love it: A clarified milk punch with pineapple, dark chocolate, and dulce de leche ice cream—this is Negroni gone dessert. Co-created by Inna Hutskal and Ashley Clivio.
Highlights:
- Due North Rum & Appleton Estate
- Suze, Cocchi di Torino Dry
- Pineapple juice, lemon juice, saline, and dulce de leche ice cream
Method: Stir, clarify, and serve over ice. Garnish with pineapple dipped in dark chocolate.
The White Lotus (53 – NYC)
Why you’ll love it: A bright and refreshing White Negroni with a bittersweet, citrusy profile from yuzu. Created by Head Bartender Aaron Kim, it’s elegant, light, and aromatic.
Tasting Notes: Bittersweet, aromatic, citrusy, and refreshing.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Agua Magica
- 0.5 oz Cocchi Americano
- 0.5 oz Gran Classico
- 0.25 oz Cachaça
- 0.25 oz Kanade Yuzu Liqueur
- 1 bar spoon pickled brine
- Garnish: Sprig of fresh mint and sprig of Thai basil
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir briefly to chill. Strain over a single, large, unetched rock in a rocks glass. Garnish with fresh mint and Thai basil.
Whims-ical Adventure (Nostrana – Portland, OR)
Why you’ll love it: Created by Bar Director Jessica Brown, this inventive Negroni uses radicchio- and rosemary-infused gin plus a striking Campari ice cube for a layered, evolving flavor as the cube melts.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Ransom Gin (infused with radicchio & rosemary*)
- 1.25 oz Contratto Bianco Vermouth
- 0.5 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
- 1 Campari ice cube (2×2)
- Garnish: Expressed orange peel
*To infuse the gin:
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 180 g radicchio
- 750 ml Ransom Gin
Combine ingredients in a gallon ziplock, submerge in a container of water, and sous vide for 2 hours at 138°F. Strain and re-bottle the gin.
To make Campari cubes:
Mix 1 part Campari to 5 parts water, fill 2×2 silicone ice molds, and freeze overnight.
Method:
Serve in an Old Fashioned glass over the Campari cube. Express an orange peel into the glass, then discard.
Belly of an Architect (Sugar Monk – NYC)
Why you’ll love it: Inspired by The Belly of an Architect (Peter Greenaway, 1987), this cinematic Negroni variation layers smoky mezcal, bitter Campari, and fragrant bergamot espuma for a drink that’s as dramatic as its namesake.
Ingredients:
- Siete Misterios Doba-Yej (Mezcal)
- Campari
- Timbal Dry Vermouth
- Verino Antica Mastiha Liqueur
- Bergamot Espuma
- Garnish: (House garnish as served at Sugar Monk)
Method:
Combine spirits and stir over ice. Top with bergamot espuma and serve in a rocks glass for a lush, aromatic finish.
Night Nurse (Bespoke – Wilmington, NC & Grand Army Bar Pop-Up – Brooklyn, NY)
Why you’ll love it: This Negroni variation blends the richness of Jamaican rum with the herbal depth of Cynar and Campari, layered with banana and coffee for a dark, decadent twist. Created by Robby Dow.
Ingredients:
1 oz Appleton Signature
0.50 oz Overproof Jamaican Rum (we do a split of Worthy Park 109 and Smith & Cross)
1 oz Punt e Mes
0.75 oz Campari
0.25 oz Cynar
1 teaspoon Banane du Brasil
1 teaspoon Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
Orange peelCombine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well-chilled. Serve over a large block of ice, and garnish with an orange twist.
Photo by: Madeline P. Gray
Negroni Bianco (Carversteak, LV – Created by Francesco Lafranconi, 2018)
Why you’ll love it: The Negroni Bianco emerged as a refreshing, lighter alternative to the classic. By swapping red vermouth and Campari for Italicus Bergamot Liqueur, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, and white grape verjus, it delivers a bright, citrus-herbal profile with a pale golden hue. Elegant, modern, and perfect for warm-weather sipping.
Tasting Notes: Lemon and grapefruit zest mingle with Italicus’ citrusy bergamot, bittersweet botanicals from Luxardo Bitter Bianco, and delicate floral notes. Refreshing yet complex, it’s the Negroni’s breezier cousin.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Fords Gin (London Dry style)
- 1 oz Italicus Bergamot Liqueur
- 1 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
- 0.5 oz White Grape Verjus
- Garnish: Twisted lemon and grapefruit peels
Method:
Fill a mixing glass with ice and add all ingredients. Stir for 10 seconds, then strain over a 2×2 ice cube in a 12 oz tumbler/rocks glass. Garnish with twisted lemon and grapefruit peels for a citrus-forward finish.
Marie Curie (Madame – Jersey City)
Why you’ll love it: Created by Melanie Carugan at Madame, where Peter Arnone serves as partner and head mixologist under Chef Jamie Knott’s modern French restaurant in Jersey City, this Negroni variation layers Condesa Gin’s prickly pear & orange blossom expression with bitters, amaro, and a strawberry-citrus oleo for a vibrant, fruit-forward twist on the classic.
Ingredients:
- 2 dashes Orange Bitters
- 0.5 oz Strawberry Citrus Oleo
- 1 oz Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro
- 1 oz St. Agrestis Inferno Bitter
- 1 oz Condesa Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom Gin
- Garnish: Fresh orange twist
Method:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir quickly for about 10 seconds. Pour into a rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnish with a fresh orange twist.
Images: Brands Respectively
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