A Negroni is the quintessential Italian cocktail; a perfect concoction that relies on the symmetry and balance of its ingredients – gin, Campari and vermouth. It was James Bond’s second favourite drink after a Martini. While actor and director, Orson Welles famously commented, “The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other.” The classic Negroni recipe was apparently invented at Caffè Casoni in Florence, Italy. When Count Camillo Negroni asked to a bartender to replace the soda water in his Americano with gin. With equal parts Campari, gin and sweet vermouth, this short, ruby-toned cocktail now appears on most bar menus.
From September 12 to 18, bars across the globe are celebrating this red-hued cocktail. So, if you do fancy venturing out for a swig of this well-known Italian cocktail here is our list of the bars in Birmingham serving an epic Negroni.
1. The Alchemist
The Alchemist, The Grand, Colmore Row, B3 2DA
2. Chakana
This Peruvian restaurant not only serves delicious dishes like ceviche but also some delicious, Peruvian-inspired cocktails. Chakana’s Amazonian Negroni is a tropical version of the classic. The bar’s recipe uses Peruvian Mosto Verde Pisco (a brandy from Peru), Passion Fruit, Campari, Spanish Bandarra Vermouth and a dash of Muyu Vetiver Gris, a liqueur with classic perfume notes of patchouli and cedarwood. So not only does the cocktail taste nice, it smells damn good.
3. The Pineapple Club
4. Theatrix
Housed in a stunning Grade II listed building, you can enjoy a Negroni in hand whilst looking out over Victoria Square. Plus, Theatrix serve brunch. So you can enjoy a Negroni day and night as it is on their brunch menu too!
Theatrix, 130 Colmore Row, B3 3AP
5. Gas Street Social
It’s all fun and games at Gas Street Social. If one of their cocktails is served with an inflatable unicorn around it then expect the Negroni to be extra. The bar serves a Jaffa Cake Negroni which includes vermouth, Campari, plus Jaffa Cake gin and orange essence, to give it that proper zesty taste.
Gas Street Social, 166-168 Wharfside Street, The Mailbox, B1 1RL
6. The Cuban Embassy
Enjoy live music alongside consistently good drinks at this venue. The Cuban Embassy’s Negroni is made with Portobello Road Gin, Campari, Dolin Rouge Vermouth and orange zest. If you want to mix things up a little, order The Cuban Embassy’s cocktail ‘El Presidente’ which still has vermouth and and orange zest, but with grenadine and triple sec added and gin swapped for rum for that Cuban feel.
The Cuban Embassy, St. Marys Row, Moseley, B13 8HW
7. 40 St Paul’s
Voted World’s Best Gin Bar in 2019, 40 St Paul’s certainly has the gin collection. 140 gins in total! Since gin is one of the main components of a Negroni, the people at 40 St Paul’s sure know how to mix one. For a unique twist on this Italian cocktail, the bar created ‘The Figroni’. The drink is a blend of rooibos tea-infused Portobello Road gin, fig liqueur and Campari and comes with a slice of Serrano ham on the side. Drink and snack- now we’re talking!
40 St Paul’s, 40 Cox Street, B3 1RD
For us, the Negroni is the perfect summer cocktail (sorry Spritz lovers). And with Birmingham;s fantastic selection of bars, there’s no better way to round off the sunny season by celebrating The Greatest Cocktail Of All Time. So take your pick from the bars above and get your order in.