Explore the delightful offerings beyond France's charming countryside and historical allure with a white Negroni. Also known as the French Negroni, the white Negroni infuses French charm into the original Negroni with the Lillet Blanc and Suze gentian liqueur. With each sip, you can't help but be filled with joie de vivre.
How to Make a White Negroni
From the start of the Negroni in 1919, countless variations and riffs on the original have existed. The classic is three equal parts: gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. The white Negroni follows the three-ingredient structure and gin spirit but spins away from the original with its remaining ingredients like the gentian liqueur.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces gin
- 1 ounce Lillet Blanc
- ¾ ounce Suze gentian liqueur
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, Lillet Blanc, and Suze gentian liqueur.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Don't sweat if you don't have Lillet Blanc and Suze in your cabinet. Should neither of these ingredients be available, use a slightly sweet yet bitter apéritif wine, such as Cocchi Americano.
Variations
Although the white Negroni does require specific ingredients, there's still wiggle room to play around.
- Try out different styles of gin, such as London Dry, Tom Cat, Plymouth, and genever.
- Experiment with different proportions, but don't get too wild. The classic Negroni calls for equal parts of each ingredient; other white Negroni recipes call for varying proportions with a quarter to half-ounce change of the recipe listed. Many use the 1½, ¾, ¾ ounce proportion.
- If you can't locate Suze, Salers makes a great substitute.
Related: 11 Classic French Cocktail Recipes With Elegant Appeal
White Negroni Garnishes
If you aren't feeling the lemon twist garnish, you have a few other options to consider.
- You can use a lemon peel, coin, or ribbon to keep the lemon peel feel.
- Use a lemon wheel, slice, or wedge for a stronger shade of lemon.
- Use an orange instead of a lemon. You can do this with the orange peel as a coin, ribbon, or twist as well as a wheel, wedge, or slice.
- A dehydrated orange or lemon wheel adds a decorative look.
A New French-Inspired Negroni
The white Negroni brings French ingredients to the forefront, crafting a new yet Negroni-spirited, modern cocktail. Sip and savor the delicious flavors of this classic.
