Cotswolds Dry Gin celebrate Negroni Week with an Italian cocktail with an English twist, perfect for weddings

With Negroni Week just around the corner on 1st June and with the bank holiday weekend stretching ahead of us, why not celebrate this beloved Italian cocktail with an English twist? Cotswolds Dry Gin, made in the heart of the English countryside makes for the perfect Negroni.

Oliver Morris, Head Mixologist at The Cotswolds Distillery explains why this gin works so well in this ruby coloured bitter delight. "In my mind the Negroni is an esteemed cocktail and ruler of aperitifs. I have enjoyed the characteristics of this cocktail for my entire life and understanding its unsweetened complex bitter taste and the selection of its unified ingredients. My go to now is Cotswolds Dry Gin, a robust, unfiltered gin at 46% ABV with its juniper spice, floral aromatics and citrussy zing which will stand up to the bitter orange Campari. For the sweet vermouth I look for flavour profiles that highlight and complement the nine gin botanicals also marrying with the orange bitterness, so my choice would be the sturdy sweet vermouth of Antica Formula. At 16.5% ABV presenting flavours of burnt vanilla, caramel and a herbal bitter sweetness that honour the Negroni cocktail."

Oliver goes on to explain his technique in creating the perfect Negroni, "I would always stir down the Negroni, gently combining the delicious ingredients together and not introducing too much dilution from the ice as you may wash away some of its character and body. A frozen large ice cube or ice sphere sits in the glass perfectly and will slowly dilute once the chilled cocktail is introduced. To embellish, I alternate between orange peel which will complement the Campari or pink grapefruit that will let the citrus notes from the Cotswolds Dry Gin shine through."

Cotswolds Dry Gin Negroni
Place 25ml Cotswolds Dry Gin, 25ml Campari Bitters and 25ml Sweet Vermouth into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. Stir and serve with a twist of fresh grapefruit peel Cotswolds

Franchino's Negroni
For a slight twist why not try Franchino's Negroni - named after Head Distiller Nickolas Franchino
Place 25 ml Cotswolds Dry Gin, 25 ml Campari, 25 ml Grapefruit juice, 8 ml sugar syrup and 2 drops of grapefruit bitters in an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain over an ice filled hi-ball glass. Top up with tonic and serve. Garnish with a slice of dried grapefruit.

RRP: £34.95 for 70cl. ABV: 46%. Available from https://www.cotswoldsdistillery.com