Delight your senses with a floral-forward White Negroni cocktail recipe. Made with only 3 ingredients, this refreshingly bitter and complex cocktail goes down easy after a long day in the sun.
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Meet the other negroni recipe
Nothing quite says “classic cocktail” like the negroni. This bitter (in the best way) gin cocktail has been experimented and played with for as long as it's been around (take my Aperol Negroni Sour Cocktail for example). That’s how the White Negroni came to be!
This floral take on the classic negroni cocktail is still made with gin but swaps the Campari and vermouth for bittersweet liqueur and wine aperitif. The three ingredients are mixed together in equal parts and stirred until chilled. In the end, your yellow-tinted cocktail is sure to delight your senses and keep you refreshed on hot days.
The white negroni recipe is fairly young. It was invented in 2001 by a British bartender Wayne Collins, who wanted to replace the traditional vermouth and Campari with Lillet Blanc and gentian-based Suze liqueur.
I recommend pairing this bitter cocktail with salty snacks and sweet treats. The complexities and bitter qualities will cut right through tomato and ricotta tartine and rosemary salted caramel macarons for dessert. Nothing quite says “summer” like bold flavors, colorful cocktails, and playful recipes!
White negroni vs. classic negroni
These two 3-ingredient cocktails have three things in common: 1. Both are made with equal parts of each ingredient, 2. Each one features gin, and 3. They’re complex and bitter tasting. A classic negroni original recipe is made with gin, sweet vermouth, and bitter Campari while a white negroni is made with gin, Suze liqueur, and Lillet Blanc. Another favorite of mine is an Aperl Sour Negroni using aperol in place of campari. In all honesty, there are so many different recipes and takes on a Negroni - and I think it's a beautiful thing!
My variation on the white negroni recipe replaces Suze liqueur and Lillet Blanc with Luxardo Bitter Bianco and Cocchi Americano. These substitutes really offer more of a floral note for your next happy hour!
Ingredients and substitutions
A traditional white negroni recipe is made with equal parts gin, Suze, and Lilet Blanc. My version of this classic Italian cocktail, however, makes a few easy switches:
- Gin - Gin is the liquor of choice in most negroni variations but it’s sometimes replaced with vodka, mezcal, sparkling wine, whiskey, and cynar. If you want to replace the gin, I would recommend sticking to vodka, sparkling wine, or cynar.
- Luxardo Bitter Bianco - This is an aperitivo with forward floral notes and hints of citrus and herbaceous aromas. It's a worthwhile investment to add to your liquor cabinet!
- Cocchi Americano - This is an Italian aperitif wine flavored with cinchona bark, citrus, and spices. It’s a refreshingly bitter liqueur while also being crisp.
- Lemon twist - For garnish. Feel free to garnish with an orange twist, grapefruit twist or an orange slice if that's what you have on hand!
- Curious where to find clear ice cubes? I purchase mind from a place called Penny Pound Ice here in LA - they ship straight to your door!
Equipment
- Mixing glass - A mixing glass is the home bartender's ideal tool for preparing stirred cocktails without diluting them or incorporating air bubbles.
- Bar spoon - Having this long spoon on your bar cart will help you mix fancy cocktails with ease.
- Cocktail strainer - Straining the cocktail into the rocks glass prevents small shards of ice from going into this traditionally neat cocktail.
- Rocks glass - Also known as an old-fashioned glass.
How to make a white negroni
Step 1: Pour into a glass. Add all of the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
Step 2: Stir. Use a bar spoon to stir the cocktail until chilled.
Step 3: Strain and serve. Strain the cocktail into a serving glass with ice, garnish with a lemon peel, and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
A white negroni is a modern classic complex cocktail with floral, herbaceous, and refreshingly bitter flavors with an ever so slight hint of sweetness.
Stirring the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice will thoroughly chill the cocktail without diluting it. Shaking with a cocktail shaker, on the other hand, will melt some of the ice and whip air into the cocktail. In the end, a shaken negroni will not have the same smooth qualities and some of the bitter flavors and herbal flavor will be lost.
The most important rule is to use a gin that you enjoy sipping. The classic choice in a negroni is a juniper-forward gin with herbal notes because the earthy notes are complementary to the complexities in this delicious cocktail. If you see a white negroni on your cocktail menus, you can always ask the bartender what kind of gin they have available or what they would suggest!
More popular cocktail recipes to try
- Spiced Apple Brandy Cocktail
- Passion Fruit Gin Fizz
- Blood Orange Pisco Sour
- Violet & St Germain Spritz
- Pear, Quince, and Elderflower Sour
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try making this White Negroni recipe, please leave a review or share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Looking for more treats and beverages to whip up? Head on over to my recipe page for more new delicious ideas to create in your kitchen!
White Negroni
Equipment
- Mixing Glass
- Cocktail Spoon
- Cocktail Strainer
- Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 1 Oz Gin
- 1 Oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
- 1 Oz Cocchi Americano
- Lemon garnish
Instructions
- Add ingredients into a mixing glass with ice1 Oz Gin, 1 Oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco, 1 Oz Cocchi Americano
- Stir to both combine and chill ingredients
- Strain into serving glass with ice, garnish with lemon and enjoy!Lemon garnish
Notes
- What does a white negroni taste like? A white negroni is a complex cocktail with floral, herbaceous, and refreshingly bitter flavors.
- Should you stir or shake the cocktail? Stirring the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice will thoroughly chill the cocktail without diluting it. Shaking, on the other hand, will melt some of the ice and whip air into the cocktail. In the end, a shaken negroni will not have the same smooth qualities and some of the bitter flavors will be lost.
- What kind of gin is best in a negroni? The most important rule is to use a gin that you enjoy sipping. The classic choice in a negroni is a juniper-forward gin because the earthy notes are complementary to the complexities in this cocktail.
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